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.
People high in this trait tend to experience positive emotions when they have intensely stimulating experiences, even if those experiences are negative. High sensation seekers are wired to enjoy the stimulating experience of horror films in a way people low in this trait are not.
Not surprisingly, some research indicates that people with a higher sensation-seeking trait and those who are more open to new experiences tend to seek out and enjoy horror-related experiences more. Additionally, if you have more empathy, you tend to react more negatively to what happens in horror shows.
Even talking about it to yourself can really help with processing. Writing down what happened in your notes section on your phone, or journaling about it if you're a journal writer, can help it stop buzzing around your brain. Even looking up the plot of the film online helps you accept and process what you just saw.
Finding comfort in manufactured fear, darkness, and shared trauma might seem counterintuitive. But, with Gen Z experiencing arguably more horrors and crises in their young adult years than any other recent generation, they turn to the horror genre for catharsis.
The findings reveal that favorability of the horror genre reduced with age, with 68 percent of 18 to 29 year olds saying that they found horror movies very or somewhat favorable, compared to just 30 percent of adults aged 65 or above. Conversely, the drama genre was more popular among older generations.
GenZ's fears are summed up in two words: FINANCE and FULFILLMENT. The desire to get rich early and spend time with families could cause a stigma if not fulfilled. Every GenZ has a perfect dream in their head to achieve.
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.
Your brain thinks all the time, and you may have intrusive thoughts for no clear reason. But they often pop up due to stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, or after big changes in your life or body. For instance, people who've recently given birth often have an increase in intrusive thoughts about the safety of their baby.
Do you like scary movies? If you suffer from OCD, I imagine they may make you uncomfortable. However, the experience of watching horror films can be a useful analogy in understanding OCD as well as how and why Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is effective.
Different types of psychopathy are related to horror movie preference as well as things like violent sports (and an aversion to romance, pop music and non-violent sports). However, you don't need to be a psychopath to enjoy horror cinema.
This also ties into the element of individual empathy, which is the capacity that one has to understand someone's emotions. Therefore, people who are less empathetic are more prone to liking horror films and people who are empathetic will not because they get attached and feel the emotions of the characters.
“When kids are exposed to excessively scary movies, images, or even haunted houses, they tend to have some of the symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Dr. Scanlon explained. The phenomenon of being scared is an experience that all humans can relate to, according to Dr. Scanlon.
Horror entertainment can trigger the fight-or-flight response, which comes with a boost in adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine. The brain can then process surroundings and conclude that the experience is not a genuine threat. This knowledge of personal safety is one reason horror fans habitually watch scary movies.
“dark copers”: people who report that “watching scary movies helps them control negative emotions of anxiety and depression that might arise from thinking about the more difficult aspects of life”.
Just like there are many reasons for enjoying horror, there are many reasons for not enjoying horror. If you tend to ruminate; have a tendency to overthink; or you're simply less sensation-seeking.” I encompass all of these traits.
OCD can manifest in four main ways: contamination/washing, doubt/checking, ordering/arranging, and unacceptable/taboo thoughts. Obsessions and compulsions that revolve about contamination and germs are the most common type of OCD, but OCD can cover a wide range of topics.
Since intrusive thoughts aren't a sin, there wouldn't be a need for forgiveness for having them. That said, engaging in reassuring prayers and readings in a non-compulsive manner, or with the guidance of faith leaders, may help you ease feelings of guilt or shame for having intrusive thoughts.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) affects people differently, but usually causes a particular pattern of thoughts and behaviours. OCD has 3 main elements: obsessions – where an unwanted, intrusive and often distressing thought, image or urge repeatedly enters your mind.
While there is no chapter and verse in Scripture saying horror movies are sinful for Christians to watch; it would be incredibly unwise and even dangerous for believers to partake in films that make light of the demonic and make it look entertaining.
In all the three cases of persistent PTSD-like syndrome triggered by horror movies identified so far, the patients were ten-years old at the time of the traumatic exposure. As pointed out by Cantor and Oliver (2004) Developmental differences in responses to horror.
For us sensitive people, this means a scene of violence can be difficult to stomach. Watching someone in pain can cause our brains to almost experience that scene ourselves, as if we were actually there. We cannot just watch and feel amused, pretending it isn't real (even if it isn't).
Cringe: Used as an adjective, cringe is a shortening of “cringeworthy.” It refers to something so awkward and embarrassing that someone might have a physical reaction.
All this can make it hard to feel optimistic about Gen Z. But when you look around the world, and at a wider set of measures, the Zoomers are far from doomed. In many respects, they are doing rather well.
While older generations might dismiss Gen Z as lazy or entitled, they understand the importance of work-life balance. Rather than being slaves to their jobs, they work to live, valuing quality time with friends and family, personal growth, and meaningful experiences.
