Stories that involve the elements of horror, namely, the narratives that elicit fear despite the presence of clearly fictional elements, have been fascinating young children since the dawn of time, even though the stories in question appear to have been created explicitly not for children due to the presence of shock content. However, on further analysis of the effects that horror stories produce on children and the characteristics that make these stories so attractive to young audiences, one will realize that the horror genre serves a very specific and vital purpose in young children’s lives. As Martin (2019) explains, serving as the cautionary tales of what might happen if children fail to follow basic precaution measures, horror stories cement the key principles of keeping safe for young children.
The detailed analysis of different aspects of horror movies and the specified effects that each of these aspects produces on children, Martin’s (2019) article should be recognized for the meticulous research that the author has done. Specifically, the author has embraced a broad range of reasons for people to enjoy horror and the related experiences. Additionally, Martin (2019) has established a clear connection between the willingness to watch horror movies and the presence of specific personality traits. However, the lack of direct evidence obtained from specific cases to understand what encourages children to choose the specified type of entertainment is one of the key weaknesses of the study.
The article in question can be used as the roadmap to examining key factors driving children to enjoy horror-based media. Namely, the article helps to delve into the cultural emotional, social, and psychological contributors to the specified choice of entertainment. Therefore, the article leads to understanding the direct effects of horror on young children.
Reference
Martin, G. N. (2019). (Why) do you like scary movies? A review of the empirical research on psychological responses to horror films. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. Web.