When I was a kid, I grew up watching Jasmine in Aladdin and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. And it appears that the obsession with Disney among kids hasn’t waned with hit movies such as Frozen.
But it appears that the traditional concept of the Disney Princess might actually be detrimental to young girls.
A study – published by Sarah M Coyne of Brigham Young University and titled ‘Pretty as a Princess’ – claims that Disney Princesses reinforce “limiting gender stereotypes” and can lead to “body esteem” issues.
For the experiment, researchers looked at if and how the behaviour of 200 preschool children (boys and girls) was affected by such material.
It was found that girls with self-esteem problems were more likely to engage with the Disney Princesses over time.
Coyne explained:
“We know that girls who strongly adhere to female gender stereotypes feel like they can’t do some things.
“They’re not as confident that they can do well in math and science. They don’t like getting dirty, so they’re less likely to try and experiment with things.”
She added:
“Disney Princesses represent some of the first examples of exposure to the thin ideal.
“As women, we get it our whole lives, and it really does start at the Disney Princess level, at age three and four.”
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