'Disney Princess' Culture: Does It Do More Harm Than Good?

It is a given fact that most girls would usually look up to their favorite Disney character, as they are exposed to these female leads at a young age. It's been a ling argument however as to whether these Disney female characters are doing more harm than good in terms of raising strong willed female children.

These female characters, such as Cinderella, Princess Ariel, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine relied on men, or their prince to help them get through their challenges. It was then noted that Disney female characters are not strong enough, thus younger children would get the impression that they would need someone to help them get through their tough times.

These movies are said to romanticize the damsel in distress concept, making children think that it is perfectly fine to wait for a prince to save them According to Bingham Young University News, Disney princesses aren't brave enough, making them a weak role model for young children.

Sarah M. Coyne mentioned that exposing young children to the "Disney Princess" culture can possibly have a lasting effect on their future behaviors. It was then mentioned that they are accustomed to stereotypical behavior in their early years.

"I think parents think that the Disney Princess culture is safe. That's the word I hear time and time again-it's 'safe,'" Coyne mentioned. "But if we're fully jumping in here and really embracing it, parents should really consider the long-term impact of the princess culture."

In a study published in Wiley Online Library, it was mentioned that children who were exposed to the "Disney Princess" culture grew up to be more gender biased. The study which involved 198 preschoolers assesed how the "Disney Princess culture affected their views. They children were exposed to Disney princess movies, toys and etc. and were then assesed a certain time period.

It was revealed that 61 percent of girls limited their selection to Disney princess toys, wherein they would play with it at least once a week. But only 4 percent of boys did the same.