Negative Effects Of Horror Movies

Watching frightening films such as “It,” Stephen King’s masterpiece, which is engrossing its monumental audience, is a favorite pastime of many young people. This industry is vast and creates a large amount of wealth for many of the people behind it. However, parents should diligently research these films’ psychological effects on minors before allowing their children to engage in this form of entertainment. After all, “‘Given that very young children may not yet know what types of stimuli frighten them most, nor do they enjoy the power to choose which media the family will view, they are in special need of protection from exposure to such scary stimuli before coping strategies are necessary’” (“Scary”). This shows that parents must carefully consider the content they allow their children to see. People watch horror movies for myriad reasons, as shown in Stephen King’s essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” and watching these films have both positive and negative effects that parents should be aware of, which are displayed in Stephen King’s essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies” and in the USA Today article “Scary Movies and TV Programs Have Long-Lasting Effects.”

A new horror film just got released into theaters, are you going to go pay to see it? Most definitely. Horror films draw us in because we are all mentally ill, as Stephen King says. In King’s article “Why we crave horror films” he argues humans are insane, and why it is necessary for them to watch horror films. To defend King’s argument it is clear to see that humans “need” to “purge” primal urges. People watch these films because they love the feeling they get, feed their mental cravings, and watch for their own entertainment. Everyone has that so-called “insane” side to them, wether they like the films or not.

Identify the reasons King advances for our interest in and fascination with horror films. Which do you find the most unsettling? Which the most convincing? Why?

One report by Bernie DeGroat says that watching horror movies can cause effects such as “inability to sleep through the night after exposure” to the graphic movie (DeGroat, par 3). After seeing the movie Jaws, one person said that the thing that scared him the most wasn’t the shark “or actual deaths that was frightening, but the blood” (DeGroat, par 9). According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, people that watch horror movies are more prone to releasing their negative emotions, also called catharsis. Although, studies have shown that Aristotle is completely wrong, horror movies actually make people more aggressive than they were before watching the movie. Therefore, why would everyone crave horror movies when really they make us more

In this article, “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, Stephen King asserts that all human beings are all mentally ill and crave that they crave horror movies to bring some normality to their selves. King believes that horror movies bring the worst in us, allowing us to experience basic instincts,

Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence.

Horror movies can have negative psychological effects. Although some people enjoy the thrill and nastiness of horror movies, I, for one, do not. Watching horror films give me nightmares, and make me extra paranoid. Rather than my inner psyche feeling “satisfied,” I feel disturbed. Watching horror films can also cause heightened stress and anxiety. Under more serious conditions, horror films can even cause PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A woman named Caroline appeared on the Dr. Phil show, who after watching a horror film called Psycho,

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Michael Fanselow, a behavioral neuroscientist at UCLA, says that horror movies, despite being unrealistic, teach us to have proper responses to actual threats, especially when we’re young. "The brain changes physically when we learn, and young adulthood is when the parts of our brain that provoke and control our fears need experiences in order to learn and come into balance," Fanselow says.

Horror movies throughout history have been known to have their cheesy storylines or continuous bad acting. Especially horror movies. People nowadays could easily spot the flaws in a film and judge them drastically in reviews. Yet, little do people notice the ongoing discrimination between genders. Horror films tend to portray males and females substantially differently because of stereotypical views. There seems to be a pattern in which each gender takes a certain role in a movie continuously. Females are shown to be “objects” such as sex and emotional symbols, while males are shown as strong or powerful and moreover as the main bad guy. Although some of the newer edition films of the horror genre are displaying each gender more and more equal throughout the ongoing years, the gender discrimination dilemma still exists and can be seen by the statistics in the movie industry in general.

The first time I watched a horror movie, I was nine years old. While all of my cousins shrieked and closed their eyes, I felt totally engaged. Will we become more violent if we watch these movies? Will we become a gore-loving, emotionally insensitive society? What is it about scary movies that we love so much? It all comes back to the Human Condition. Facing our fears, establishing our sense of normalcy, and experiencing a weird sort of fun are all solid claims that Stephen King states in his essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies.”

King tries to persuade us in “Why We Crave Horror Movies” that we are all a little insane and actually need to release our ‘bad thoughts’ by seeing horror movies. King also makes reference that people under the age of 39 need this kind of thrill or escape more than older people do, he makes this reference when he stated “And horror movies, like roller coasters, have always been the special province of the young; by the time one turns 40 or 50, one’s appetite for double twists or 360-degree loops may be considerably depleted.” (299) King also tries to persuade us that watching horror films is cool or popular and if you’re bland then your not getting “invited to the best parties”. (299)

A girl runs frantically through the woods trying to escape an axe wielding villain. The defenseless victim suddenly trips and collapses to the ground. The villain laughs wickedly as he lifts the axe above his head. The girl releases a final scream as the weapon quickly ends her life, causing the audience to go silent as they watch the villain drag away the lifeless body. Death, blood, guts, suspense, screaming, and terror are all just a few things to expect when watching a modern day horror film. What is horror? Horror can be defined as an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust. (Wilson) The description of horror is not very pleasant, but for some reason horror films are extremely popular. Why is this so? People are addicted to the

The Basic Steps to Not Surviving a Horror Film The horror genre is a very popular genre that is increasing in popularity every decade. One fault that annoys most viewers is the fact that most people in horror films do stupid things that get them killed. In order to be one of these people, one first needs to know how not to outrun killers outdoors.

Hollywood has created so many movies to promote deviant behavior. There are many reasons why Hollywood uses deviant behavior. People in Hollywood use deviant behavior for entertainment by producing and filming movies that people will actually enjoy. They don’t make scary movies just to scare the bejeezus out of you, they produce it because people take time out of their life to watch a scary movie and enjoy the goosebumps you get from mysterious things happening. When tv shows are being aired on tv or movies in a theatre are being played commercials pay to have their very own commercials during the tv or movie because they want the movies to become popular and have more people interested in taking time to watch it. Most of the movies or tv shows are targeting elderly people, kids, teens, and even adults.

The media has a way of influencing people of all ages. Specifically, violence and horror in the media are the most debated. Why do people go to watch violent movies or horror movies? They go for entertainment without realizing the physical or mental effects. Kathy Benjamin’s “5 Scientific Ways Watching Movies Effects You” and Bernie DeGroat’s “Scary Movies Can Have Lasting Effects on Children and Teens” both mention the negative effects of movies, especially horror movies, with research or studies. However, only one of the essays, “5 Scientific Ways Watching Movies Effects You,” mentions some positive effects. Statistics have shown that watching these type movies can have short and long term repercussions.