Mommy I’m Scared

How TV and Movies Frighten Children and
What We Can Do To Protect Them

“In its format, style, contents, and tone, this is a model parenting book.”

Understanding principles of child development helps parents predict what will frighten their children in the media, and it also helps their children cope with the scary array of content that the media provide.

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Purchase “Mommy, I’m Scared”.

 

Reviews of ”Mommy I’m Scared”

Children should not be exposed to scary TV dramas, cartoons, news programs, and feature films, Cantor says, since their frightened reactions to these media images are often intense and indelible. They are also, according to her, age specific, gender influenced, and individualized. She draws deftly on research, case material, and developmental psychology theory to describe in some detail what typically frightens children, why they are drawn to scary entertainment anyway, and techniques for soothing their fears if prevention fails and they view a disturbing scene. She logically presents a wealth of information about the effects of media on children in a compelling but low-key, readable style, alerting parents to the seriousness of media-induced fright and arming them with strategies for alleviating its ill effects. In its format, style, contents, and tone, this is a model parenting book.

—Kathryn Carpenter

Nightmares, anxiety, intense fear, and physical pain are typical reactions that children have to scary TV. This very important book considers such childhood fears and how they affect us as teenagers and adults. Cantor comes down hard on TV programs, movie reruns, and TV news as the “uninvited intruders” in our home. What to do? Monitor very carefully, or discard the TV. Cantor offers ways to help children work through their fears, including distracting, desensitizing, and reasoning, and she analyzes movie ratings (Jaws, for example, is PG) and why we love violence so much. An excellent addition to public library shelves.

—Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA

Order:

Purchase “Mommy, I’m Scared”.