It's 10pm... Do You Know What Your Children Are Watching?

Guest Opinion

By Emma Smith | Oct. 21, 2023

When I was 11, I stayed up late one night watching the 1976 adaptation of Steven King’s Carrie by myself in the family living room. It absolutely terrified me. I don’t think I slept soundly for a week. And although I can laugh about it now, I actually consider that experience to be a traumatic one. I know what you’re thinking—come on, it’s just a movie—but watching that film seems to have formed a core memory of sheer terror that I can recall to this day.

With “spooky season” in full swing, there’s no shortage of horror flicks and scary TV programs infiltrating our screens. And while plenty of people enjoy the feeling of being a little scared, myself included, I often question whether children are having the same difficult experience I once had by consuming scary media they are not yet emotionally prepared for.

Although television programs and movies are rated in part to help parents ascertain the level of appropriateness for children, that does not necessarily mean that children are consistently shielded from media content which has been considered “too scary.”

A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health confirmed the phenomena of “ratings creep,” the tendency of ratings to become more lenient over time. This means that a film produced 1980, which may have been rated R for violence, could be rated PG-13 if it were made today. Movies and TV programs today are much more realistic than even 15-20 years ago, given technological advances like CGI, costume design, and special effects.

And you don’t have to wait for October to roll around to see programs such as Law & Order: SVU, which feature realistic depictions of dead bodies and violent sexual assault. In fact, shows like this air during primetime.

Over the past few decades, there has been a sharp rise in the diagnosis of childhood anxiety disorders and PTSD. There are many factors to consider when identifying the possible causes of anxiety in children, but the rise in media consumption is one factor which ought not be ignored.

A 2008 study showed that children who frequently consumed scary or violent media had significantly higher anxiety rates than normal. To give you an idea of how times have changed, in 1990, children spent an average of 1.5 to 2 hours per day watching television. Today, the average screen time for a child is 6 hours per day.

Exposure to violent media, specifically, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn increases the prevalence of children acting out violently at home and in their community. There is additional evidence that suggests violent media consumption is linked with an increase in aggression, violence, substance use, and psychological issues in children and teens.

The content a child is emotionally prepared for depends largely on several factors, including age, development, and attachment. Some children are entirely capable of distinguishing what’s happening on-screen from what’s happening in real life, and for them, seeing an R-rated movie may pose no issue. Other children, however, while able to understand the concept of fact vs. fiction on a cognitive level, may struggle to rid their minds of scary scenes after the fact. Over time, frequent exposure to frightening media can lead to heightened anxiety, behavioral issues, and desensitization.

Of course, we can’t shield our kids from everything, and sooner or later, they will undoubtedly see something that frightens them. In order to mentally prepare them for this experience, it is imperative to maintain open lines of communication so that your child feels comfortable sharing with you. You won’t know what media they’re prepared for unless you’re aware of their pre-existing fears.

One study found that when children are given prior knowledge of a happy outcome, fear and anxiety resulting from watching scary movies was reduced. But what if they’ve already seen something scary, and you’re dealing with the aftermath at bedtime? Have a conversation, free of judgment, about the fear they experienced and explore the reasons why it may have affected them in this way. Sometimes, explaining special effects, watching behind-the-scenes footage, or even looking up additional shows or movies that feature the same actors can be helpful in reinforcing the fictional nature of what they saw.

Ultimately, providing children with stability and reassurance can help them maintain a sense of control and mitigate the impact of fright responses, like heightened anxiety, to scary media. Keep track of what your kids are watching and pay attention to their emotional cues. All children are different, but for those who are more sensitive or susceptible to what they see on screen, make sure you take their feelings seriously, listen with empathy, and above all, reassure them that they are safe.

Emma Smith, MA, LLPC, works as part of the Development Team at Child and Family Services. She is also a clinical mental health therapist and recently opened her own private practice, Blue Thistle Therapy.