Everyday, teenagers are exposed to scary movies and violent video games. Many parents view late night horror movies as harmless entertainment, research shows that it actually has a negative impact. Early exposure to horror content can have a negative impact  on adolescent minds that are still growing.

The biggest concern is that adolescent brains aren’t fully developed yet. Since young minds are still growing they are easily shaped by experiences. According to an article written by Taylor Snowden from The Conversation, “In reality, new research suggests this development actually extends into our 30s.”

Since human brains are not fully developed yet, seeing extremely violent and scary movies can leave a permanent impression. These movies are influencing minds before they are even finished developing.

It is important to realize that the younger a child is, the more damage horror movies can do. An article written by Bernie DeGroat from University of Michigan states that “the younger the study’s participants were when they viewed a scary movie and TV program, the longer-lasting the effects.”

For many kids this exposure leads to long-term anxiety, sleep problems or phobias that last for years. These problems can last into adulthood showcasing the large effects on human minds.

Finally repeated exposure to horror movies leads to desensitization. This happens when a person is exposed to something disturbing so many times that they stop reacting to it. According to the article “Kids and Horror Content” from The American Academy of Pediatrics, “Kids are more likely to copy violent behavior if the person doing the violence is someone they find interesting, attractive, or similar to themselves.”

This exposure can decrease a child’s ability to feel empathy and might even increase aggressive behavior. Getting used to seeing violence as humor on screen, makes it harder to process the seriousness of violence in the real world.

Although horror movies are popular, they have a negative impact on growing minds.