While there is no absolute age at which scary movies are appropriate, Dr.Dry recommends not introducing them to very young children because of the potential to create long-term anxiety.
Some are movies are just spooky. Gentle thrills can let kids explore fears in a safe environment. Others movies can be very scary and even violent. Scary movies that contain violence or adult content can have harmful effects on young viewers' behavior and mental health.
“Kids might be into scary movies because they enjoy the rush of adrenaline they feel, or because scary movies are a safe and manageable way to explore their fears, or because they're curious, or because they like the social bonding that comes along with scary experiences.
We've got animated funhouses (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Monster House), '80s fantasies and creepfests (The Dark Crystal, Return to Oz), and '90s classics present and accounted for (The Witches, Hocus Pocus, Casper).
Is it OK for a 12 year old to watch horror movies?
Developmentally, teens can handle dramatic and psychological suspense, but kids under 16 still shouldn't see slasher horrors, especially those that feature kids in dire danger or that have lots of gore.
personally we didn't get nightmares but that doesn't mean that other people won't. But we totally recommend it for mature kids that don't get scared easily that are 12+ years old. Some scenes are scary and their are some jump-scares but nothing too bad in my opinion! This movie is great!
Watching horror movies may lead to increased anxiety, fear, and nightmares, especially in younger children. Children who have been through trauma may be triggered by the themes and images in horror movies, which could make their symptoms worse.
Toddlers and young children who watch violent movies, including Halloween horror films, television shows or video games may be more likely to develop anxiety, sleep disorders, and aggressive and self-endangering behaviors.
Is it OK for a 13 year old to watch American Horror Story?
But American Horror Story is nothing like the feel-good TV musical. Parents and caregivers should be fully aware that this darkly disturbing (and long-running) series with psychosexual undertones was clearly intended for adults, and not their children.
Adorable kids and horror paraphernalia seem like an incongruous pairing. But a child's interest in horror is “almost always a harmless fascination,” said Coltan Scrivner, a research scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Denmark's Aarhus University.
So, they turn to escapism, particularly with horror, which allows them to deal with things that they cannot understand. Lindsay Knight of Random House Australia wrote, “Scary stories play an important role in children's emotional education, allowing them to identify and control their darker feelings.”
Harrison and Cantor of the University of Wisconsin did a study of 150 college students regarding the effects of watching horror movies when they were children. They found that directly after watching horror movies 52% reported disturbances in areas such as sleeping or eating, as well as increased anxiety.
In these cases, experts advise initiating honest and emotional conversations with children about their fears. “Empathizing is always the first place we start, that it really scared (them) to see that, so we're not going to make fun of the kid.
You might get some relief from feelings of anxiety and depression→ As described above, watching a horror movie will release adrenaline throughout your body. The adrenaline will help to stabilize your mood and decrease your anxiety and depression in the short term.
According to science findings, people may seek out horror movies for all sorts of reasons, such as triggering chemicals in their brains, to help them plan for worst case scenarios, or to practice coping strategies and control.
There are many reasons tots might get attached to these types of images, from having a really great time on Halloween to getting the sense that spookier books, shows, and games are somehow more grown-up. And finally, toddlers, like all people, can get a taste for being a little scared as a way of processing emotions.
Dry recommends not introducing them to very young children because of the potential to create long-term anxiety. Around age 4, kids are figuring out how to manage fears that naturally develop in childhood, and layering scary movies on top of that could be overwhelming.
Watching horrific images can trigger unwanted thoughts and feelings and increased levels of anxiety or panic, and even increase our sensitivity to startle-eliciting stimuli, making those of us who are anxious more likely to respond negatively and misinterpret the sensations as real threats.
Restricted: R - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.
In addition to the violent scenes mentioned above, Annabelle Comes Home has some scenes that could scare or disturb children aged over 13 years. For example, Daniela is locked in a room with a TV screen, which shows scenes from a few moments into the future.
CORALINE is an exceptional movie and I really have to admire the folks who made it. However, I should point out that this is NOT a movie for younger viewers because the movie is basically like walking into a nightmare. I think I'd be very hesitant to take a child younger than 10 to see it--it is that dark and scary.
At least 10. The kitchen scene alone, where Billy's fearless mom slaughters a stream of evil gremlins, makes me think parents should wait until their kids are older and able to handle the scares that come with a well-made creature story. Gremlins isn't Jaws.
Very explicit for a PG-13. No actual sexual activity other than some slobbery kisses and shots of dogs copulating, but innuendo along with sexual language, jokes, and leering are frequent.
