The "Princess Effect"

The so called "princess effect"

The debate over this so called "princess effect" has been on the minds of young parents for generations, yet many never arrive to a clear conclusion as to whether or not they believe it actually exists. Is their validity in this pressing concern or has it just gained far to much hype from the increasing feministic climate? I mean after all, we are just talking about fairytales here. At the end of the day, princesses are all just in good fun right? Wrong.

Maybe for those of us older than elementary school aged children, it is easy for us to overlook some of the negative connotations that come with the wave of princess mania. However, to young, malleable children some of the negative connotations we can oftentimes be blind to are glaringly obvious and captured in the spongy minds of kids. How can the things we expose our children to not have an effect on them? Growing up, the world is a window of discovery. Little minds take in everything they can, why would we be naive enough to thing they don't take in all of what the Disney princess has to offer? The iconic Disney princess is much more than a beautiful gown and a handsome prince charming -- the undertones behind these ideals are often times a young girl's first exposure to the negative effects female directed media has on feministic stereotypes.

The Proof

There have been countless studies done on the effects Disney princesses have on young children and time and time again the results prove to be the same. For girls, studies find that the more girls get enthralled with the princess culture, the more likely they are to act in a traditional feminine fashion. They also find that girls who have lower self esteem, particularly regarding body image, get hooked on the Disney princess scene and stay more interested in their ideals than girls with a higher self image.   

However, in the spirit of silver linings, studies have found that there may be some benefit with Disney princess engagement in the young boy population. The princess environment has been seen to discourage the traditional aggressive propaganda behind media targeting male children. 

Why? It goes back to the simple idea of balance. Dr. Hains explains, “If girls are already tending in this direction, then increasingly exaggerating the feminine is becoming extreme. For boys, who are already immersed in a hyper-masculine culture, becoming more feminine is becoming more well-rounded.”

What can we do to be proactive about the phenomenon?

Hopefully this post doesn't come across as too negative, because -- disclaimer -- I am actually a huge fan of Disney and most definitely went through an intense princesses craze as a child. But, it is important that we do not ignore the discussion of the messages we direct at kids. There are, without a doubt, good arguments as to why princesses are not all bad. The princess culture is wrapped up in magic and wonder; it is a way for a girl to embrace her unique beauty and develop identity that mirrors that of a brave, smart, or innovative action her favorite Disney princess makes. Overall the storylines, though with a few misleading messages along the way, do promote good morals. It is our job to point these positives to children. When watching a film with a child, call out the princess for her courage decisions and her quick-wittedness. Show children that there is much more to a princess than what meets the eye. Challenge your young daughters to look past the physical beauty of a princess and seek out beauty within -- trust me it is there.