First published: 28 March 2022 @ 6:00 pm
Every mother wants her daughter to be the best that she can be. They want her to get into the best schools, have the most important friends, have the most exciting experiences, and live a happy and fulfilling life.
However, this can sometimes be detrimental to their daughters as it can lead them to believe that what they do is not good enough.
In fact, many parents feel as though their daughters are missing out on opportunities that they should be getting by believing that what they do is not good enough.
Princess Culture in society
Princess Culture has become very prevalent in modern-day society. This is due to several factors.
Firstly, it was because princesses were thought of as beautiful and intelligent.
In fact, a study conducted by Dr. Christina Eckholm revealed that girls tend to like princesses more than boys do (Eckholm 2014).
Secondly, people were made aware of how popular Disney Princesses were by reading magazines such as Girls Life and other articles about them (Schwartz 2014).
People began making clothes for their daughters based on these characters which became popular amongst girls around the world (Schwartz 2014).
Thirdly, it was because people wanted to emulate these characters by wearing their own version of them. They began buying these clothes and would wear them for special occasions (Schwartz 2014).
Finally, it was because people were raised with the idea that being a princess is the best thing in the world and therefore, many people believe that it is a good thing for their daughters to be princesses.
You can see this in Disney movies such as Cinderella and Snow White. There, the main characters are commonly royalty and therefore, being royalty must be a good thing (Eckholm 2014).
But they do really have a negative impact on children?
Negative Impact of Princess Culture
Princess Culture is a bad influence on your daughter.
This is because it can cause her to believe that she is not good enough and this can lead her to believe that she does not deserve the things that she has.
The researchers found a link between young girls watching more princess media, identifying with princesses, and playing with princess toys for one year. And a higher level of female gender-stereotypical behavior.
If girls avoid important learning experiences, like less gendered behavior, it is possible that their behavior in adulthood will be problematic.
As the researchers say, “There is nothing inherently wrong with women expressing feminine nature and acting in a gendered manner, but stereotypical female behavior could be problematic if girls believe that the opportunities for their lives are limited because of their preconceived notions regarding gender.”
As early as age 4, most children have fairly good body image. However, people had concerns that being exposed to princesses could be related to developing a worse body image in early adulthood.
There was a day when Barbie launched a doll that had curves because people had been complaining about her for 50 years that she was bad for girls’ body image.
Study after study shows that if you repeatedly look at the same body image, that could have a negative effect on your body image.
In fact, we don’t see any princesses who have large bodies.
This can also lead her to believe that she does not have the potential to achieve the things that she wants which is something that can be very damaging for someone as young as a child.
If you have a daughter, then it is important for you to make sure that you talk with her about Princess Culture so that you are able to give her advice on how she should deal with it and help her deal with these negative feelings.
In terms of educating children about body esteem, we think that it would be a delightful movie to show princesses of all shapes and sizes, with all colors as well.
In addition, it is important for you to try and make sure that she knows what the right thing to do is so that she does not have any negative feelings about herself.
You should also ensure that you do not expose your daughter too much to this type of media as this can cause her to be more susceptible to believing in Princess Culture.
How to Counterattack The Bad Influence of Princess Culture?
To counterattack this negative impact, introduce your daughter to different types of media not based on Princess Culture.
For example, you should introduce her to books such as The Beauty Myth and Feminism: A Girl’s Guide. You should also try and expose her to movies such as Superbad and The Hangover.
You should also make sure that she spends time with other girls who do not believe in Princess Culture. This way, she can learn about other ways of life which are not based on Princess Culture.
Finally, it is important for you to have fun with your daughter and have fun doing things together. You will help her learn about the world around her by doing so.
This doesn’t mean you need to stop them from watching princess movies. Just limit their intake and introduce them to more diverse types of entertainment.
Parents are the ones who have the most influence and responsibility in teaching their children progressive views on gender and stereotypes.
In childhood, they might like princesses that follow gender stereotypes. Examples are Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Mermaid.
But when they are older, it’s important to introduce them to more variety of princesses and empowered female characters.
They would definitely love young female princesses who were less stereotypical, like Mulan, Elsa, and Moana, princesses who are more independent, and whose stories are more about adventure rather than romance.
Then, you can be sure that they will grow into a fine young lady with an appreciation for all types of culture.
If you have a daughter, then it is important for you to make sure that you talk with her about Princess Culture so that you are able to give her advice on how she should deal with it and help her deal with these negative feelings.
In addition, it is important for you to try and make sure that she knows what the right thing to do is so that she does not have any negative feelings about herself.
You should also ensure that you do not expose your daughter too much to this type of media as this can cause her to be more susceptible to believing in Princess Culture.
Be the best parent you can be. Check out more parenting tips on our blog, Mature Parent.
References
- Eckholm, C. (2014). The Value of Being a Princess? – A Review of Girls’ Socialization and Adolescent Girlhood. Gender & Society, 28(1), 79-97. doi:10.1177/0891243213481714
- Schwartz, S. (2014). Are princesses good for girls? – Can princess culture boost girls’ confidence? – BBC News. BBC. Retrieved on February 13, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29571488
