I would not be surprised if my future daughter wanted to dress up as a Disney princess for her first Halloween. As a sixteen year old girl, I wandered the dark streets, adorned in darker fabrics of maturity,  and spotted little creatures of color as little girls dashed from house to house, their sparkly dresses following them. I traveled back in time to when I dressed as Elsa from the movie “Frozen” at the ripe age of eight, and I realized she was all I ever wished to be. Children of all ages grow up with movies of fairy tales and princes, but are these movies doing more harm or good for childrens’ development? 

Many young girls obsess over new things on the daily, and for some their subject of obsession can last weeks to months. The moment a girl will watch their favorite Disney movie, her life will be centered about why that movie is her favorite, and she’ll grow closer with the characters to the point they actually look up to a fictional princess on the screen. Yet the portrayal of these characters aren’t that innocent to the naked eye. 

For example, the princess is in constant need of a prince. This could be harmful in many ways as it proves to girls that they should lean on someone else for support, and most especially their future boyfriend or husband. Another point is the beauty standard that is shown across multiple movies. Why is beauty such a necessity for the young women in these films? The need to be beautiful will greatly impact the mental development of young girls. As they continue to watch princesses whose waists are smaller than their shoulders or their hair is more gold than black, little girls are able to apply this standard of beauty to their own lives. Further insecurity can set off multiple mental problems such as eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder. If Disney princesses are nice and slender, then they have to be too, right? Otherwise how else will one find love and friendship?  

The moral ideals of Disney films also transcend beyond the morals of society today. In the movie “Cinderella”, Prince Charming and Cinderella meet for the first time and decide they love each other. They will then get married and she will be the Queen of the Kingdom. This implies that girls should not think before they do. In reality, acting before weighing out the consequences is a sure way to cause some much heated conflict. In “Tangled” and “Snow White”, the age gaps between the two couples raised eyebrows among the audience. With the men in their mid-to-late twenties, the girls remain in their early to mid teenage years. To have a man kiss a young girl and whisk them off their feet is a prime example of pedophilia. Little girls should be aware of who is the right age to date and how old is too old. 

While Disney still constructs amazing films and is an important part of the younger generations, perhaps adding a change to their moral values would benefit the majority. I, for one, adore the films that Disney continues to produce, yet the odd circumstances displayed in the movies set me apart as to see what was really going on. Needless to say, everyone should enjoy Disney movies, just watch out for the deeper meanings behind the screen.