How to have a spooky and happy Halloween: Top tips for parents • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Child Development and Fear Exploration: Children are naturally inclined to explore fear in safe environments as a way to test bravery and aid development.
• Developmental Appropriateness: Content suitable for one age group may not be appropriate for another (e.g., Hotel Transylvania for a 7-year-old vs. Ghostbusters for teens).
• Parental Controls: Digital platforms (streaming services, YouTube, Spotify) offer built-in features to manage content access and maturity levels.
• Digital Parenting: Active parental involvement, communication, and pre-screening of digital content are crucial for guiding children's online experiences.
• Self-Regulation of Fear: Open conversations with children about their reactions to scary content help them learn to manage their own fear responses.
• Trusted Adult Role: Parents should strive to be a trusted source of support for their children regarding any online experiences.
• Holistic Digital Content Screening: Parents need to consider all forms of digital content, including movies, podcasts, games, and even emojis, for age-appropriateness.

Understanding Children's Fascination with Scary Content

Children are inherently "wired to explore fear" in safe ways, which can be an exciting part of their development. This exploration helps them test their bravery. However, what is considered "scary" or "fun" is highly dependent on age. For instance, a 7-year-old might enjoy Hotel Transylvania, while a teen might find Ghostbusters appropriate. Parents play a vital role in helping children understand these emotions and ensuring content is developmentally appropriate.

Ensuring Age-Appropriate Digital Content

1. Checking Age Ratings:

• A primary method for ensuring content is suitable is to check age ratings.
• Resources like Common Sense Media and game rating systems can be utilized.

2. Utilizing Parental Controls on Streaming Services:

• General Principle: Streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus offer parental controls to guide children's digital experiences.
• Netflix:
  • Kid Profiles: Allows creation of specific profiles for younger children and older teens with tailored maturity ratings.
• Disney Plus:
  • Content Ratings per Profile: Enables customization of content access for each child, especially in households with multiple children.
• Watch Limitations and Restrictions: Parents can set limits on viewing time.
• Purchase Restrictions: Crucial to prevent children from making unauthorized purchases of movies or other digital content once online.

3. Content Filters on Platforms like YouTube and Spotify:

• Restricted and Explicit Content Filters: These platforms offer options to filter out inappropriate content, ensuring children are not exposed to it.
• Parental Involvement: The core message is that parents must actively engage with these controls, similar to managing other devices, social media, and online games.

Family Halloween Fun Without Crossing Lines

• Family "Freaky Scary" Nights: Parents can initiate shared viewing experiences by watching appropriate scary content together as a family.
• Respecting Family Values: The chosen content should align with the family's values.
• Creating a Shared Experience: This can involve activities like watching a movie with popcorn.
• Open Communication: The most critical element is having conversations about the film. Parents should ask:
  • "What did you find exciting?"
  • "What was too much?"
  • "What scared you?"
• Facilitating Self-Regulation: These discussions help children learn to self-regulate their fear responses.
• Becoming a Trusted Adult: By fostering open dialogue, parents become trusted adults whom children can approach with any concerns about their online experiences, which is essential for digital parenting.

Beyond Movies: Halloween-Proofing Other Digital Content

Parents should extend their screening efforts beyond movies and streaming services to include:

• Podcasts: Eerie soundtracks and storytelling podcasts can be frightening. Parents should listen to podcasts first to assess their suitability.
• Text Messages and Emojis: Even seemingly innocuous elements like scary witch or devil emojis can be too much for younger children.
• Books and Games: Online books and games also require pre-screening.
• General Principle: For any digital element, parents are advised to "get involved" and "test things out beforehand" before their children engage with them.

Conclusion

The key takeaway is that while children are naturally drawn to exploring fear, parents must actively guide their digital experiences, especially around Halloween. This involves understanding developmental appropriateness, utilizing available parental controls on various platforms, and fostering open communication with children about their reactions to scary content. By being involved and proactive, parents can ensure that digital entertainment provides thrills without becoming nightmares, and that they remain a trusted resource for their children in the digital age.