October 22, 2009

Prof: Childhood scares, fear of unknown can have lasting ill effects

"Fear is based on our judgment of the threat we are experiencing," says Glenn Sparks, a professor of communication. "That level can be intensified if there are unknowns about the threat, because uncertainty is an ingredient that feeds into general anxiety. Scary movies, just like the recent 'Paranormal Activity' and the older 'Blair Witch Project,' are considered exceptionally frightening because they build on the fear of the unknown. These films also are produced in a way to look real, and that also intensifies the level of fear because it helps to convince us that the depicted events could actually happen."

"Paranormal Activity," which opened in movie theaters Oct. 16 and is filmed to look like a documentary, is about a demonic force that terrorizes a young couple in their house.

"I am frequently asked why people like to be scared," says Sparks, who is internationally known for his work on the emotional effects of media, including how frightening films affect children. "And my first response is that it's important to remember that not everyone likes being scared. Almost any adult can remember back to a scary movie or television show that caused so much fear, the emotional upset lingered for a few days, weeks or months. Some may even still be haunted years later, and express regret that they ever viewed the film."

Sparks says it is important that people have a sense of what triggers their fears, and if it's a concern, he recommends avoiding such films.

"Parents should always pay attention to how films affect children, especially older ones," he says. "Parents often follow the rule that the older a child is, the safer it is for the child to see the movie. But that is not so because there is a greater possibility the child will realize that some realistic horrors can actually happen to people."

Sparks also recommends that parents research films in advance by reading detailed descriptions of their violent content at https://www.kids-in-mind.com/. The Web site also ranks content based on sex, nudity and profanity.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Glenn Sparks, 765-494-3316, gsparks@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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