Why are kids allowed to watch horror movies?

Personally, I find existentialist dramas to be absolutely soul-crushing, and honestly, they get under my skin far more than any horror movie ever could. To me, a good horror flick is just a walk in the park compared to that kind of psychological torment.

Since I might as well provide an answer to the original poster... why not?

I suppose I should offer my own "insight" on this topic, specifically regarding toddlers around 2 or 3 years old and animated films that border on horror, such as this .

Children at that age are obsessive and rely heavily on rigid routines; they can watch the exact same cartoon every single day for a month 😁 without ever getting bored. According to child psychologists, this won't cause trauma because they use these fantasy worlds and fairy tales to learn how to distinguish good from evil.

As for myself, I have watched horror movies for as long as I can remember, and it hasn't left me with any psychological issues—other than the fact that I still enjoy watching them today...😁

goldenscout14 said:Honestly, existential dramas are what really get under my skin—horror movies feel like a walk in the park compared to those.

I'm right there with you.

To be honest, I’ve never taken typical horror tropes—you know, the whole blood, violence, zombie thing—all that seriously, mostly because after seeing the same tired clichés a dozen times, they just lose their edge.
It's not like a gory horror flick is going to desensitize some average kid; at most, they might just get used to it.

The real issue is that most horror movies out there today are just... well, bad. We're talking ridiculous scripts, amateurish editing, terrible directing—it's a long list, really—and it’s become this huge stigma for modern horror. And honestly? Even a kid can see through that kind of low-quality filmmaking.

Horror movies aren't meant for kids, and honestly, I just don't get adults who claim otherwise. I mean, there’s a reason why every movie starts with a rating indicating the recommended age group. To suggest that these films won't impact a child's psychological state is beyond naive. Sure, any reasonably intelligent kid understands that horror is fiction and isn't reality, but thinking they won't be scared? I highly doubt that. The only way a kid wouldn't be spooked is if they simply didn't grasp what was happening on screen, or—sadly—if they were already desensitized by violence at home or through growing up in a conflict zone. In those cases, a horror movie might feel totally normal to them.
I personally didn't watch any horror films until I was about sixteen. Of course, I was curious, but thank God my parents wouldn't let me. Looking back, I don't feel like I missed out on anything significant. As a kid, even just a picture of a werewolf was enough to make me terrified and keep me awake all night; I can't imagine what would have happened if I'd actually watched the real thing. 🙄 Nowadays, I find horror movies pretty entertaining, but I still avoid those mindless slashers where people just hack limbs off and pour liters of blood everywhere. That stuff is stupid, pointless, and has zero artistic merit. It shouldn't even be considered entertainment. Actually, if someone considers that kind of gore their idea of fun, they really ought to take a hard look at themselves.

analogpanther55 said:To claim this won't impact a child's psychological state is beyond naive. It's pure delusion.

Fine then. Go ahead. Provide some actual proof that a horror movie causes permanent psychological damage to a child.