Sunday, November 4, 2012

10 reasons that some scary movies can be okay for kids

After doing some browsing in my blogging community I came across this article about scary movies and why some scary films could be okay for kids to watch. This article was written by Albert Saliba and I found it on The Horror Movies Blog site. 

He starts out his article by talking about how when he was a child he watched The Time Machine on TV and he remembers being so scared that he had nightmares for months. Saliba then inquires, "...was I really scared for life? Not so much." He said he went back and watched The Time Machine again when he was an adult and he found it entertaining and fun to look at how different his perceptions were as a child as opposed to them now. I think that the majority of people in the same situation will look back and enjoy this comparison of perception also. I know I did when thinking of the first time I watched the film The Grudge. 

Many parents try to shield their children from scary films and I also agree with Saliba that they should monitor what their kids watch to an extent but there is no need to go overboard. Scary movies can be okay for kids to watch and here are some reasons why.



  1. Handling fear –  Scary movies are a good way for kids to learn and understand how to handle fear. It may all seem real, but if you keep reiterating the fact that it is just a movie it will take some of that real fear a child has from the film away . a horror movie every now and then may help your child stand up to their fears and deal with them.
  2.  Thrills –  Some kids enjoy being scared with thrills and spooky things. It could be fun for them to shriek, and it may be funny to see their siblings or friends hide their face. By the age of 8 to 10 kids may be searching for more thrill seeking/adventure type films to see.
  3. Reality vs. make believe – Watching a scary film can help kids learn to separate and learn reality and make believe. Kids just need to step back and put it into perspective that what they just watched didnt really happen, but took place in a movie studio.
  4. Learn to analyze – Once they can put it into a different point of view then kids can analyze the scary movie for themselves. They can wonder why one thing makes them scared while other things don’t frighten them as much.
  5. Just for fun – Kids might want to watch  a scary movie every now and again to help change up their original movie viewing selection. What kid isn't going to want to watch a scary movie on Halloween?
  6. Pushing boundaries – Children should be well rounded and can't be raised with one sided views. Sometimes pushing the boundaries isn't a bad thins and a child who has never seen a scary movie as a child wont know how to deal with it as an adult. 
  7. Share a passion – Some people really do enjoy watching scary movie and it could be a good way for them to form a relationship with someone who also really enjoys watching scary films such as a parent, friend, or sibling. 
  8. Part of growing up – Everyone needs to get scared every once in a while and its a part of growing up. Watching scary movies is a harmless way for a kid to get that experience.
  9. Fitting in – Kids like to fit in with their friends, so when you don't let them watch a scary movie they could feel really left out. Especially when their friends are talking about a spooky film or episode and they can not relate.
  10. Snuggle time – Parents can use this as an opportunity. An opportunity to get some extra snuggle time with their kids as they get older. Watching a scary movie together is a good way to bond with your child. 
Parents don't want to let their kids have nightmares or anything like that, so discretion is advised when necessary. But parents, you don't want to shelter your kids too much. Saliba says that children under the age of 7 have a hard time separating fiction from reality. This doesn't mean go let your kid watch a gory movie that will scare the crap out of them, but with a little background on the film parents can decide on films that have the appropriate amount of scariness in them. He says also that you should include a scary film with a happy ending or humor also. Nothing too frightening. Nonetheless an occasional thriller or scary film doesn't have to be a bad thing. 

2 comments:

  1. I agree and disagree with this a little bit. I agree that horror movies aren't bad for children. My two little sisters have watching scary movies their whole lives and they seem ok. However, I was forced to watch them as a child and as an adult, I can NOT watch a scary movie. So I think it is defintely important that the child has a desire to watch scary movies before having them watch it.

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  2. I completely agree with you that the child must have the desire to watch a scary movie. I think that it is a good idea to let them know that they are created in a film studio and that there is nothing to be afraid of in either situation though. As a child I refused to watch scary movies and was never forced to, and now I highly enjoy them.

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