Introduction
Horror stories and films are significant objects for discussion, especially recently, as they contribute to children’s socio-emotional development and further experience. While watching this type of content created by children, it is hard to discern the moment when the line between entertainment and a traumatizing experience blurs. It is necessary to examine the impact of horror content on children’s psychological condition to understand the possible ways to shape their health. The role of personification, morality, and psychological influence should be examined in children’s horror stories and movies to demonstrate the connection between fears and children’s development. The connection between horror content and children’s development is significant, and it can shape children’s behavior and psychological conditions; that is why there is a need to maintain the balance between learning new experiences and harming children’s health.
Personification and Morality
Firstly, the role of personification and morality in shaping children’s world reveals the connection between the content children consume and their psychological state. John R. Nevius, in his article, emphasized the sociological and psychological world of children, which is significantly transformed with the help of television programming (Nevius 58). For instance, children often personalize characters, mostly with themselves, especially if the character is a hero in the story. In addition, they give the fictional characters real emotions and traits, and they believe in them.
One great example of such stories is the “Cookie Monster,” where children define the actions of their beloved characters as good or bad. In this case, through such associations, children develop their sense of morality and improve their understanding of this issue (Nevius 59). Moreover, the personification by the children improves their qualities, such as causality and consciousness. In this case, children can engage with abstract tools and improve their fantasy.
In addition, the author states that “Peter Pan meets young children on the pathway of substitution through consciousness (Nevius 57). As a result, children learn to distinguish between good and evil with the help of personification, and a sense of morality may be developed through the use of personification with the characters, which significantly contributes to the overall development of children.
The Acceptance of Fear by Children
However, the horror content also affects children’s ability to overcome fear, so maintaining a balance is essential. Children should be allowed to examine horror movies or stories, but this activity should be controlled. Catherine Lester suggests researching how children make scary content less horrifying. She states that “how they perceive and interpret it, and upon the social contexts in which they watch and subsequently talk about it with others,” affects childrens views (Lester, 24). For instance, the role of acceptance among children is examined so that they can understand and accept the feeling of fear, rather than resisting it.
The primary focus is on exploring children’s emotions through the horrible stories. In this case, children can observe their reactions, emotions, and feelings while consuming such content. In this case, their development can be enhanced, and new insights can be gained. However, the balance between fear and acceptance should be maintained, as the negative consequences of watching horrible movies cannot be avoided. Children should be provided with the opportunity to explore new feelings and feel secure while gaining such experience. As a result, the harmful effects of horror stories can be avoided, and the needed experience and acceptance can be ensured for children without adverse health consequences.
The Concept of Acceptance of Diversity Among Children
In addition, the theme of acceptance is widely explored in various children’s films, which can help us analyze their reactions more effectively and improve overall development. For instance, the children’s three most famous horror films were analyzed: ParaNorman, Hotel Transylvania, and Frankenweenie. These movies are significant as they promote the concept of acceptance. In this case, children learn to distinguish between prejudices and reality, understanding that not all things are inherently evil and that good is indeed sound (Lester 28). That is why children can accept people who are different from them.
For instance, in the movie “Hotel Transylvania,“ children learn to accept monsters and understand that monsters are not always evil and humans are not always good. In this case, their personality is significantly developed and shaped. Moreover, with the help of these narratives, children enhance their empathy and are taught to understand and accept diversity (Lester 23). For instance, while watching the mentioned movies, children gain a different understanding of good and evil, seeing that monsters are not always nasty. As a result, they develop the ability to accept and respect people with different backgrounds. In this case, various prejudices are avoided, and unity is earned.
Conclusion
To conclude, horror movies have a significant impact on children’s behavior and their acceptance of others. Such movies primarily focus on personification, morality, and psychological influence. It is seen that the lack of balance can lead to negative consequences.
However, horror movies for children are currently designed to teach them morality and diversity. In this case, children learn to accept diversity and understand that good is not always good and evil is not always bad. Additionally, the psychological aspects of such movies help children navigate their emotions and cope with various negative feelings more effectively. It is essential to recognize the positive impact of horror movies on children’s health and social-emotional development, while also maintaining balance to avoid the harmful effects of such stories.
Works Cited
Lester, Catherine. “The Children’s Horror Film: Characterizing an ‘Impossible’ Subgenre.” VELLUM: A Critical Journal of Children’s Literature, Culture, and Art, vol. 25, no. 3, 2018, pp. 36-47.
Nevius, John R., Jr. “The ‘Cookie Monster’ and Cognitive Enculturation.” Educational Technology, vol. 20, no. 9, 1980, pp. 57-60.