ALEX KEUTER / ASST. OPINION EDITOR

A trademark part of the Halloween season is fear. Curling up with your friends, watching a scary monster or psycho-killer chase characters in a world that is often less fictional than we’d like to think, it’s perfect. For the non-horror enjoyers, this practice may seem deranged — why would you intentionally try  to scare yourself? As it turns out though, watching scary movies can be good  for  you,  and  give  your  brain a  break  from  mind-numbing, short form content. This fall, you should all give horror a try. 

Despite the heart-stopping nature   of   these   films,  studies  have shown that watching horror can actually be good for your nervous system. Watching scary content gives you a small adrenaline rush — your heart beats faster and you are ready to run. In short bursts, this can be really good for you because it helps your brain and body work quickly and can be a reset for your nervous system. It’s similar to going on rollercoasters, where your body gets pumped and ready to go, giving you a sense of euphoria and energy. 

It is important to note that constant adrenaline  rushes are bad  for   you,  such   as   panic  attacks or other high stress situations.  However, a   little   kick  of  adrenaline  is  actually  beneficial. I   have   found   that  if I’m having a particularly  stressful  day, watching a scary movie actually helps me to relax, by releasing all that stress through fear and adrenaline — essentially giving my nervous system a  safe way  to  reset. 

What’s great about movies is  that  what’s  happening  isn’t real. You can see and respond to scary things that can’t actually hurt or harm you. In life, many scary things are beyond our control, so being able to watch movies  or  TV shows that are scary, but  not  real,  is welcomed as relief. 

These three iconic Halloween movies — ‘Halloween,’ ‘Scream’ and ‘IT’ ­— are staple films of spooky season. Photo courtesy of @BeAfraid_horror/X

Additionally, watching horror films can be a nice break from repeatable short-form content. Nowadays, many people are victims of doomscrolling, where you are constantly scrolling through  short form content, despite the negative effects it can have  on  your  health.  This  content is often  predictable,  as it is  chosen  by  an   algorithm that  wants to keep you  watching —  so it only shows us  what we want to  see. It doesn’t often challenge our interests or worldviews. Scary movies  take  the  control out of our hands — we  don’t know what’s going  to   happen  next,  but  isn’t  that  the fun part? It’s unpredictable,  and  that’s  good for the   health  of  our  brains.  A  study on  brain  health  for  the  NIH  stated that varied experiences can have a positive effect on brain health. 

“Participating in a variety of daily activities (i.e., activity diversity)   requires  people  to  adjust to a variety of situations and engage in a greater diversity of behaviors,” author Dr. Soomi Lee said. “These experiences may, in turn, enhance cognitive functioning.”  

There is definitely an important balance with watching scary movies, because if you do it too much you can become desensitized to it. Some like Dr. Ramnarine Boodoo, a child psychologist  at  Penn  State  Health, warns against too much exposure. 

“Many studies have shown that consistent direct exposure – especially among young people – to graphic material, decreases empathy and increases aggression,” Boodoo said. “So, we really have to be careful with how much exposure we have to this kind of stimulus.” 

In small  doses, though, horror  can  have a  positive  effect  on both our  brains  and  lives. By  exposing  us  to new and  varied  things, it gives us  a  break   from  the  mundane  and  raises our  adrenaline to safe levels. 

Despite the name, horror movies can be fun and good for you, and everyone should give them a chance this Halloween season. So next time you’re looking for something to watch, consider a scary movie. If anyone asks you why, you can say it’s actually good for you.

Jason Voorhees, a fictional serial killer from the movie ‘Friday the 13th,’ is one of the most renowned horror movie antagonists. Photo courtesy of @jasonuniverse13/Instagram