How media has shaped my expectations of happiness

As someone that writes frequently in both an extracurricular and personal context, I think a lot about how media affects our worldviews. Our human existence is a tapestry of our experiences, and the media helps shape how we perceive those experiences: our attitudes and mindsets naturally inhabit the attitudes and mindsets that are present in the media we consume.

I grew up on Disney. I grew up with the idea that happily ever afters were inextricably intertwined with being in a heterosexual relationship and having a grand, old wedding. My expectations of happiness were most definitely warped by these representations of happiness, especially in Disney films.

When I was watching these Disney films, I resonated more with the princesses than any other boy characters. This was a difficult dilemma for me, because growing up as a boy, I wanted to relate to male characters; however, I always exhibited feminine traits and interests. That being said, my ideas of happiness were inextricably linked to being comfortable in my own gender— relating to the male characters. At that age, I believed that I had to fit into this box of what it meant to be a man, and I tried to distance myself away from liking any Disney princesses. Thus, I believed that to be happy was to fit into this "prince" ideal— that I had to be fit into the man box to be happy.