Forcing Kids to Watch Horror Films - The Benefits.

Scaring your kids is good for them.

Children should be watching more horror movies.

Last Tuesday, my children and I watched Talk To Me, a 2022 Australian supernatural horror directed by twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou. It scared the living crap out of us. The mix of realistic performances, familiar setting and grim supernatural activity sent shivers all over my body.

My 13-year-old son begged me to let him watch it. He thought he could handle it, I thought was great—my kid is tough. Also, I wanted to watch it, and it would be less scary to have him beside me to hold my hand.

Most teenagers love horror. According to Ohio State University neuropsychiatrist Katherine Brownlowe, MD, they enjoy scary movies, books, and experiences not because of the fright but because of the post-fright high. The amygdala is an area of the temporal lobe that fires up your body when scary things happen. It gets us ready to fight or run.

This amygdala is an old instinctive part of the subconscious brain that formed to deal quickly with real threats in the dark, like snakes, tigers and human enemies. It’s a non-reasoning part of the brain that doesn’t know you are watching a movie. It’s reactions are real.