I have always loved watching scary movies. I can recall being all of three-years-old, watching corny werewolf movies made for television, with my dad and loving every second. My older brother, on the other hand, at that age just couldn't handle films made to frighten. My husband is starting to appreciate scary movies, but when I first met him he firmly believed that it was unhealthy to get so scared. Why is there such a difference between people and how they view scary movies? Is it in fact unhealthy to needlessly expose yourself to fright? The research has been done, but with mixed results.
People Who Say They Can't Handle Scary Movies are Just Wimps
This opinion is most often held by individuals who feel the need to impress, or appear macho. If you recall, in native times, every boy had to withstand a rite of passage (an intensely difficult test riddled with hardships) before he could be looked upon as a man. In our modern day culture this tradition is no more, so perhaps the young men these days feel the need to declare their manhood in other ways, such as watching intensely scary movies, being daredevils and willingly participating in ridiculous fraternity traditions.
However, there are other people who simply cannot handle watching scary movies. Scientists believe that may be due to a hormonal problem. When our brains recognize there is a threat, we get a shot of adrenaline. Adrenaline, produces endorphins, and if we realize the threat isn't real, those endorphins make the experience pleasurable. If someone has a weakened hormonal system, there won't be enough endorphins to help them enjoy the experience. Also, if it was the reverse--an overactive hormone issue--then their brain wouldn't give them enough time to process whether the threat was real or not, it would just go into overdrive and be scared for its life.
What are Some Negative Effects From Watching Scary Movies?
According to Glenn Sparks, a professor of communication at Purdue University, the physical reactions to horrifying images include sweaty palms, tense muscles, a drop of several degrees in skin temperature, a spike in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate of up to 15 beats per minute. Those are some pretty incredible changes considering you're simply sitting still viewing images. But what about possible mental effects? The area in our brain that plays a large part in regulating emotions can be permanently imprinted by fear.
In fact, Joanne Cantor, PhD, director of the Center for Communication Research at University of Wisconsin, believes that allowing children under the age of 14 to watch scary movies may cause them to have a lifelong irrational fear. Children are impressionable and have a much harder time differentiating between real and imagined threats. Most phobias adults have are believed to be direct results of a traumatizing experience (including a scary movie) had as a child.
Are There Any Positive Effects From Watching Scary Movies?
Actually, there are. Exposing yourself to something potentially frightening and dangerous in a controlled situation can help you learn how to cope with and view it as less threatening. A lot of phobias and anxieties are dealt with through this type of cognitive therapy. Face your fears, right? Also, fear increases several of our sensory thresholds including eyesight, speeds up metabolism, and generally makes us feel more alive. Fear is a genuine sign that you are exposing yourself to something new and learning about it.
This last point may seem far-fetched, but I feel it's a very good point worth mentioning. Fear can help you realize what's important to you. So for those of us who feel that they don't love themselves enough, perhaps watching a scary movie and fearing for your sense of well-being will help you realize that you really do care.
Sources
webmd.com, "Why We Love Scary Movies" (date accessed 11/22/10); sciencedaily.com, "Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared" (date accessed 11/22/10); english.pravda.ru, "Horror Movies Make Humans Stress-resistant and improve their health" (date accessed 11/22/10)
Rebecca Luerssen - Reading and writing have always been loves of mine, and I have a habit of losing myself when absorbed with written words. I am a ...
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