Horror stories: the benefits and harm to the child's psyche

Did you like to watch horror movies or read scary stories for children at a young age? The desire to tickle the nerves is quite natural for a person of any age. But many parents have noticed that horror stories negatively affect children. Let's figure out why this is happening and whether it is worth allowing a child to watch and read them.Why do children love horror stories

Let's first define what a horror story is.

After all, in fact, we do not know what can scare a child. How many children were scared by the absolutely harmless and even charming Werther Robot from the movie "Guest from the Future?". Do you remember the scary face of the Snow Queen in the cartoon about Kai and Gerda? 

Children are afraid of Santa Claus, the clown in the circus and even Spider-Man, who is generally one of the most noble heroes. Even in fairy tales there is someone to be afraid of: Karabas-Barabas, the Wolf, Koshchei the Immortal, etc. That is, you need to understand that the child's perception of the plot is individual. Predicting the reaction is either very difficult or impossible in principle. Therefore, psychologists advise you to first view or at least read the description of the content that you are going to show the child. 

To better understand your child, the motives of his behavior and desires, visit Dmitry Karpachev's free online master class "What every parent should know". The "Haunted Room" experiment

How much does a roller coaster ticket cost?

Quite a lot. And people are happy to visit the attraction. Why are they doing this?

The answer to this question was given by sociologists M. Kerr and G. Siegle from the University of Pittsburgh. They conducted an experiment: they created an extreme attraction "Haunted Room" and studied the reactions of the visitors' body. 

As a result, it was found out that when a person gets scared, his body launches a threat response program that was formed evolutionarily. This program is a set of chemical reactions that help a person survive: the release of large doses of hormones into the blood is activated. In particular, the hormones of fear, that is, adrenaline and serotonin. 

But at the same time, the production of other hormones also increased: serotonin, dopamine, endorphin and oxytocin, which are considered hormones of euphoria, calmness, satisfaction. It is they who "rage" in the blood in moments of joy and happiness. 

This paradox is explained by the context: if there is a real threat to life, then only hormones of the first group are produced. And if the threat is imaginary and a person understands that scary stories happen to him for fun, the number of hormones of happiness and joy exceeds the number of hormones of fear. After the episode with fright, a real euphoria follows. 

It is almost impossible to get this feeling without additional stimulation in real life. But to simulate a threat and enjoy the effect of emotional uplift is very pleasant. 

And what does this have to do with children's horror stories?Having received hormonal nourishment after the fright when watching a horror movie, the child unconsciously seeks to repeat these sensations.

And he can even watch the same movie several times. It is very important that he understands the mechanism of euphoria, so that the search for adrenaline and dopamine does not become his habitual style of behavior. 

This issue is especially acute in adolescence, when children can walk on roofs and cling to trolleybuses to experience the thrill and prove their coolness. Just such behavior is a consequence of copious viewing of horror movies or a passion for violent games. Any movie gets boring over time, and a teenager tries to get the same emotions in real life. That is why it is impossible to allow a child horror stories in large numbers and without parental control. 

For more information about how mobile the child's psyche is in transition, read the article "What to do if a child says that he does not want to live."Scary stories: can or can't

We have figured out why children love horror stories and, even if they are scared, continue to watch them.

Now we suggest reading the advantages and disadvantages that you may encounter if your child regularly watches such films and cartoons.

The use of horror storiesThe main advantage is the formation of concepts about what is good and what is bad.

We are talking about dangerous situations that can lead to this or that act, decision. Living dangerous or scary stories together with the hero, the child learns to draw logical conclusions: responsibility follows the act.

Almost all horror films and scary fairy tales end positively: evil is defeated, the hero is happy. Creating a feeling in a child that even the most difficult situation can be solved if you do not give up, will inspire him and charge him with optimism to solve his own problems. By the way, the desire to make sure once again that good wins over evil is one of the answers to the question of why children watch horror stories.

There is also a therapeutic effect: a child watches a horror movie, realizing that his fear is irrational, that all this is not true. So he learns to understand the nature of fear, recognize it and fight it with arguments and logic. 

Do not forget to keep track of how much time the child spends watching TV. If there is a lot of it, it may indicate dependence. Modern children are quickly becoming "slaves of gadgets". This is exactly what Dmitry Karpachev talks about in the video on the topic: "How to solve the problem of computer addiction in children."The harm of horror stories

Stories that a child can perceive (due to age) are particularly dangerous

as real. Everything is very individual here, but psychologists, answering the question why children should not have horror stories, advise them to adhere to the age limit recommended by the authors of the work. Recommendations can be found on the last pages of the book and in the description of the movie / cartoon.

If the child is old enough to understand that the action on the screen or in the book is fiction, then the list of works can be expanded. But all the same, parents should monitor whether there are shocking, bloody scenes, violence and bullying in them. 

The consequences of viewing such content can be unpredictable: from aggression towards others to aggression directed at oneself. Read more about this in the article "Why a child beats himself".

What to do if the child is scaredTo begin with, find out what exactly he is afraid of.

Do not make fun of his fear, even if the reason was gloomy clothes or a character not too aesthetically depicted. Tell us that the author saw him like this, but by turning on fantasy, you can change your attitude to this hero.

Try to protect your child from watching a cartoon or movie that frightens him. Perhaps in a few years he will change his attitude towards him. But it's worth giving him that time.

Do not trigger it by re-viewing, so as not to provoke a more acute attack of fear, multiplied by a misunderstanding of the parents' act. After all, it is parents who create a safe environment for children.

And if the child subconsciously expects provocation from you, it can undermine his trust in you. 

If the craving for tickling the nerves remains, advise the child special horror stories for children. For example, the cartoon "Coraline in the land of nightmares" or "Monster House". Their plots are sufficiently mystical, intriguing, can scare a little, but at the same time funny, with bright and positive characters and a good ending. 

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Don't worry if your kids love horror stories. Follow our advice when choosing a movie, book or cartoon, and also take into account the character and sensitivity of your child.

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