Halloween is the spookiest time of the year. Parents need to be particularly sensitive now because Halloween films are often too scary for children. An expert gives tips.
For many horror fans, being scared is a pleasure. When else can you be afraid, disgusted and frightened without even leaving the sofa? It’s Halloween now Horror films that will keep you awake, particularly popular again. And as we all know, what the big ones want, the little ones also want. However, horror films pose a significantly higher potential risk for children.
But what aspects of horror films are unsuitable for children? We asked Tanja Syszka, former teacher and learning expert at the online learning platform sofatutor, this question. Of course, it is important that scary factors are not necessarily problematic for all children of all ages. Every child is unique and while particularly sensitive children may find many more features disturbing, other children are not afraid at all.
Nevertheless, Tanja knows: “Children who watch horror films are more susceptible to sleep disorders, nightmares and anxiety. They have an increased risk of anxiety disorders and phobias later in life,” she says BuzzFeed News Germany. That’s why it’s definitely worth knowing what parents should pay attention to.
1. Clowns and Dolls – The familiar is particularly scary
In recent years, films like “It” or “Annabelle” have repeated what “Cemetery of the Cuddly Toys” proved in 1989: childish, funny and sweet things can also be really scary. These types of films are particularly frightening for children. “The children can identify more with the characters and content,” says Tanja Syszka. The shock factor is then particularly great. So that children don’t end up being afraid of their dolls, they shouldn’t watch films like “Annabelle”.
2. Jump scares can deprive our bodies of sleep
In almost every horror film, a jump scare appears at some point, i.e. an unexpected event that is intended to scare us. Sometimes more, sometimes less successfully, they are an integral part of the horror repertoire. Again, they are not suitable for children. According to Syszka, they can “increase the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to anxiety and sleep disorders.” While adults are more able to deal with it, children may not know how to help themselves.
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3. Darkness: What is lurking under my bed?
Touch your own nose. Did you used to be afraid of the monster under your bed? Did you quickly jump into bed when you turned off the light in your room? Fear of the dark is a common phenomenon. Quite natural for children, says Syszka, “because it represents the unknown. A film that exploits this fear can increase natural fear and lead to persistent anxiety in real life.” So if you want your children to make friends with the monster under the bed, you should avoid films that try to scare with darkness.
4. Depictions of violence are in no way suitable for children
Excessive violence is not just an issue in horror films. It is even more important to be aware of what she can do with children. “Children may not fully understand that it is fiction. Such representations can lead to desensitization or imitation in real life,” says expert Syszka BuzzFeed News Germany. Children’s ability to empathize is also at risk. If in doubt, parents can also emphasize while watching that the violence is not real. This makes it easier for children to understand where reality ends.
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5. Disgusting faces are particularly unpleasant for children
Do you know what the “Uncanny Valley” (for which there is no good German term) is? If a creature seems fairly human, but we still notice that it is not human, then it is in the “uncanny valley” – and is particularly disturbing. Especially for children, says Syszka: “Studies have shown that children in particular react very sensitively to faces and find ‘unnatural’ faces particularly disturbing.” For children, films like the classic “The Exorcist”, which features a severely deformed face, are particularly suitable Face works, only suitable to a limited extent.
If children do become frightened by a film, parents should help them deal with it. “Parents should talk to each other,” says Syszka, “and make it clear which things exist in reality and which don’t.” For parents who want to watch Halloween films with their children without the risk of being scary, we have a list here. Further educational age recommendations are available on flimmo.de.
- From 0 years: Winnie the Pooh’s scary fun with Heffalump
- From 7 years: Monster AG, Hui Buh – The Castle Ghost
- From 9 years: The Vampire Sisters, Hotel Transylvania, Scooby Doo
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