Thin-figured Disney princesses are more damaging to girls’ self-esteem than curvy-bodied princesses, study claims

Disney’s blockbusters have fascinated children for generations, and many dream of one day looking “pretty like a princess.”

But scientists now say that Cinderella and Aurora are among the myriad of characters more damaging to the self-esteem of young boys and girls.

New research, led by the University of California, has shed light on the link between the body shape of a young person’s favorite princess and their self-confidence.

Aurora, Snow White and Cinderella are said to have a ‘less positive’ impact on a child’s self-esteem based on their thinness.

In contrast, kids who idolized Brave’s Merida or Moana were much more confident, thanks to their more “realistic” body types.

“Disney princesses are introduced to children as ambitious characters,” the authors wrote.

Disney princesses, for example, are often portrayed as extremely thin, and their thinness is often associated with their desirability (for example, Snow White is called the “fairest of them all” and Aurora is blessed with the “gift of beauty” in her films). their respective movies).

“For example, Disney movies with thin princesses can reinforce the social narrative that thinness is more socially desirable, or as other authors have written: goodness is equated with thinness.”

As part of their analysis, researchers examined a data set of 61 Disney films, with a total of 112 characters ranked by their body size.

In general, princesses from Disney’s older films were categorized as “thin,” while more modern figures such as Merida fell into the “normal size” category.

Then a group of parents were asked which princess their child most identified with, among other questions about their child the young person’s self-esteem.

Frozen’s princess Elsa was a clear winner among both boys and girls, with 76 and 94 rating her as their favorite respectively.

Meanwhile, the ‘realistically large’ Moana came second, while ultra-thin princesses like Elsa, Anna and Jasmine also made the top 10.

In general, experts found that children were more likely to have a positive view of their self-esteem if their favorite princess was of average height.

A new study, led by the University of California, claims that a child’s favorite princess and self-esteem are linked

Princesses from Disney’s older movies were categorized as “thin,” while more modern figures like Merida were categorized as “normal size”

Kids who worship Brave’s Merida or Princess Moana are much more confident

Frozen’s Princess Anna was a hot favorite among kids in the California-based study

Snow White was one of many princesses considered “skinny” by researchers

But those with a thinner princess favorite had no significant correlation between the time they spent pretending and their appreciation.

This was true for both boys and girls, but previous research shows that boys can be even more influenced by Disney princesses.

Psychologist Catherine Hallissey told MailOnline that characters like this can influence long-held attitudes, even if it goes unnoticed.

“Children and adults are affected by everything in their environment, so if children play with a certain type of toy, it will affect their thoughts and attitudes,” she said.

“If that toy is an idealized version of beauty, it will impact the child’s perception of beauty and, by extension, how the child feels about this idealized version of beauty.

“So if a child plays with toys that have a more realistic body type, the child is more likely to develop a more realistic image of body shape, size and proportions.”

As a result of the findings, the authors believe medium-sized characters are most beneficial to children because they act as a “protective context” for their esteem.

They wrote: ‘Specifically, depictions of the body size of princesses appear to be particularly impactful for young children, although our analyzes suggest that thin princesses may not necessarily be harmful to young children.

“Instead, our findings suggest that medium-sized princesses create a protective context for children’s body appreciation, especially if they interact with these princesses through pretend play.”

“These findings present greater nuance in our understanding of the effect of media engagement on the development of body esteem and gender stereotypes in children, helping us better understand how Disney princesses specifically may play a role in children’s lives and growth. ‘

READ MORE: Kids should be taught lessons in school on how to build strong relationships to counter ‘Disneyfied’ depictions of love, scientists claim

Ask any child about their favorite movie and chances are he or she will name a Disney movie, such as “Beauty and the Beast” or “Aladdin.”

However, experts believe that these movies give them the wrong idea about what a healthy relationship looks like.

In “Aladdin,” the hero kidnaps Princess Jasmine from the restrictive palace life, while “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” and “Sleeping Beauty” all involve a young girl rescued by a “handsome prince.”

Researchers at the University of Exeter surveyed young people and found they had a desire to learn skills that help them develop relationships at school.

In ‘Aladdin’ (pictured), the hero takes Princess Jasmine out of the restrictive palace life. Experts believe that Disney movies give the wrong idea about what a healthy relationship looks like