Some kids might accidentally come across scary or violent content online, while others look for it on purpose.
Let's explore why kids are curious about this stuff and what you can do about it.
Why are kids drawn to horror videos & true crime content?
For the thrills
Research shows that people—adults and children—who enjoy scary content often have what's called a "sensation-seeking" trait. This means they enjoy things that are exciting or thrilling, which can include horror content.
There are 4 main reasons behind sensation-seeking:
Wanting adventure and excitement
Looking for new experiences
Acting impulsively or wanting instant gratification
Getting bored easily
This research also found that men and boys tend to watch and enjoy scary content more than women and girls.
Out of curiosity
Another reason people are interested in scary stuff is "morbid curiosity." This is when someone wants to learn about dangerous or frightening things. People who are morbidly curious individuals often enjoy movies or TV shows with danger, like horror films.
Through trendy movies & video games
Also, popular scary movies and video games can become trends. When kids talk about them at school, other kids may want to check them out too. Examples include games and shows like Five Nights at Freddies, Squid Game or Hello Neighbor.
This makes it easier for kids to end up watching or playing things that are violent or frightening.
Where do kids find scary and horror content online?
App recommendations
Most kids in the U.S. find video content—scary or not—on
YouTube. YouTube is easy to use on phones and computers without needing to log in. This means that YouTube may not know that it is a child watching.
As a result, the platform might suggest violent or scary videos, even if the child searched for something like "Roblox" or "memes," according to a
recent study. Since violent or frightening images often grab attention, they're used in video thumbnails to make people want to click on them.
Tip: If your child uses YouTube or another app with a video "feed," take some time to look at what's being recommended. Look closely at the video thumbnails. Do you see anything shocking, violent or scary? If so, talk with your child about how these images are designed to grab attention and get clicks. You can also
reset your child's YouTube feed or create a
supervised account to help filer out inappropriate content.
TV, movies & video games
Kids and teens also find horror content on TV and in movies and video games.
Research shows that the average American child will see at least 40,000 simulated murders and 200,000 violent acts on TV alone by the time they grow up.
Violent content is also common in video games. As the policy statement on media violence from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes, kids in grades 4 to 8 often choose video games that reward violence against others. Around 7 out of 10 kids in grades 4-12 said they played M-rated (mature) games. About 78% of boys owned M-rated popular games, and 21% of these games involved violence against women.
How does scary or violent content affect kids?
A child's understanding of violence in media, and how it affects them depends on the type of content:
Who is being violent: According to
social cognitive theory, kids are more likely to copy violent behavior if the person doing the violence is someone they find interesting, attractive or similar to themselves.
Use of weapons: Seeing weapons used in media can make kids more likely to think about or act aggressively.
Graphic or explicit violence: "Graphic" content includes scenes with blood or gore, and "explicit" content shows violence up close. Studies show that kids pay more attention to this type of violence.
Violence is rewarded and not overtly punished: If violence leads to good things for the person using it—or doesn't face consequences—kids may think that kind of behavior is OK.
Showing the victim's pain: When kids see the victim in pain or suffering, they may be less likely to act aggressively. This can make kids feel sorry for the victim and build empathy.
Mixing violence and humor: When violence is shown as funny, it may make kids less sensitive to how harmful it really is.
Media violence & aggression
One study found that kids who watched violent videos regularly were more likely to think aggressively. This might be because they feel excited or stirred up when watching this content. Interestingly, the same study showed that kids didn't react this way to sad or funny videos. Only violent content had this effect.
Emotional desensitization
The researchers also noticed something else: when kids see violent content over and over, they start to get used to it. This is called desensitization, and it means the violence doesn't bother them as much anymore.
The AAP acknowledges this effect in our policy statement, where we describe how watching media violence can lead to more aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares and fear of being hurt.
Reviews of research over the past 60 years show also that violent media is also linked to anger, hostile feelings and a decrease in helping others or feeling empathy.
What can parents & caregivers do?
Find alternatives to scary content that still satisfy your child's need for excitement.
Try movies or videos that are sci-fi, fantasy, or action-packed but not gory or too violent. Common Sense Media provides age-recommended ratings and reviews of shows and movies. For younger children, the AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health Early Childhood Development and Screentime Toolkit offers ideas for selectring high-quality content.
Many kids who love excitement also enjoy moving their bodies in thrilling ways. Examples include jumping on a
trampoline, navigating a ropes course or learning to rock climb.
The
Family Gaming Database website gives ideas for high-quality video games that are good alternatives to scary or violent ones.
Set boundaries using platform settings.
On YouTube, you can create a supervised experience linked to your own account. This lets you choose what content your child can see, block channels and set time limits with Google's Family Link app. Learn more at
Exploring YouTube Confidentiality: A family guide to supervised experiences.
Make sure your child's profile has their correct age listed. This can help YouTube, TikTok and other platforms filter out graphic or scary content. Since no filter is perfect, it's important to ask your child what they've been watching lately.
To clear your child's feed of scary videos, you can reset YouTube's algorithm by clearing the search history. View our past Social Media and Youth Mental Health portal question for instructions on
Managing Content on Social Media Feed.
Watch together.
- If you like scary movies or thrillers,
watch them with your child. Talk about what's happening in the movie or video game. This will help your child understand the violence and give you a chance to teach them your values.
Have check in conversations about the content your tweens and teens may be watching.
Make a plan.
- Creating a
Family Media Plan can help everyone understand which types of media are okay for your child to watch and what should be avoided.
More information