Horror Movie Genre Should Die

Why the Horror Movie Genre Should Die There are many things to love about fall as a season. The summer heat abates, leaves turn and football becomes the national pastime once again. But, there is one other predictable rite of autumn – the horror movie – that detracts from an otherwise favorite season of many. Today's horror movies are much different than when the genre was first born. The modern horror movie is a splatter-fest. Gore for gore's sake, with little, if any, redeeming qualities such as sensible story lines, plot development or characters of any depth. Granted, most of this same critique could be said of other movie genres, save for the gore. The question then becomes – are horror movies, and their gory images, actually harmful

There's one significant problem with these researchers' findings – they do not address the effect of cognitive differences in age or allow for other research showing movies with graphic content are harmful. The assumption might be since most horror movies carry an R rating, children and adolescents would be precluded from seeing such images until their cognitive development enables them to process these images without harmful effects. Research shows this is not the case. With access to streaming movies, cable television and sites like YouTube, more U.S. children and adolescents than ever are seeing, and suffering the effects of violent, horrific images. Researchers Worth et al. (2008) found “brain-imaging studies have suggested that a child's brain does not distinguish between real acts of violence and viewing media violence” and “even if children [consciously know] the difference between entertainment violence and real violence, their brains respond as if they were being exposed to a real threat”

Increasingly, research says yes. There is a growing body of scientific evidence exposure to graphic content is harmful. Worth, et al. (2008) found “a clear picture has emerged that exposure to violent media increases the likelihood of aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behavior” (2). Similarly, Cantor's (2002) research shows the fight or flight response produced when first viewing violent, graphic images reduces over time, desensitizing the viewer who is then less disturbed by seeing violent content. Children who are desensitized “wait longer to call an adult to intervene in a witnessed physical altercation between peers, and results in a reduction in sympathy for the victims of domestic abuse” (2). In other words, children exposed to violence and graphic, horrific images in the media begin to see such things as normal or just a way of life. Their judgment about what is normal and what kind of behavior is okay becomes clouded. Does this mean every child exposed to such things grows up to be an ax murderer? Thankfully, no. But, along with the scientific evidence of such images clouding ones judgment is some rather interesting anecdotal evidence as well. As of March, 2015 a now fired permanent substitute teacher in Columbus, Ohio was convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation for showing a horror movie to five separate classes of high