Does Disney Really Hurt Self-Image

Does Disney Really Hurt Self-Image? Does Disney truly affect a child’s self-image and their perception of the world? Do all the fairytales trump a child’s view on what reality is like? Children grow up nowadays with Disney advertising, television shows, and movies everywhere; this surely impacts their life in a significant way. All little girls and boys see are movies about princesses in distress, then a knight in shining armor comes to their rescue. Nearly all Disney movies use this as a basic storyline for their story whether it is in Hercules, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Aladdin; the main plot of the movie is nearly the same. These recurring themes, which appear in most Disney movies, definitely have an impact on children’s self-image, and cause them to make assumptions of the real world based on this. Much of the media and some parents blame Disney for some of their children’s low self-esteem, however not all the blame can be pinned on advertising companies and the movies that Disney produces; mothers and fathers out there need to take some sort of responsibility for the upbringing of their children’s sense of self-image and self-esteem. Although Disney depicts images that somehow lead children to base their self-image from, parents could make a difference to change how children see themselves. There is plenty of psychological evidence to show how Disney movies do effect a child and how it does not; not only that, but not all parents believe that Disney is a prime factor in their child’s development. Disney movies have been around for several decades and prove to be a great hit with children and young adults, however what mixed messages do these “harmlessly” fun films present to viewers? Throughout most of Disney films, the Walt Disney Film Corporation has always depicted their female protagonists with physically flawless traits whether they were the maltreated stepdaughter (Cinderella), or a Native American who lived in the forest (Pocahontas); all

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