Fear for Fun?
My daughter is in the bedroom watching a horror video game with her friend in Atlanta. A few things I find fascinating about this fact. 1) There exists a genre called “Horror Video Games”. 2) Video games are apparently now an online spectator sport. 3) She is able to do these things in real time with a friend a thousand miles away. Technology . But #4 is the one I want to talk about today: 4) She and her friend are choosing to watch something meant to be frightening. And enjoying it. When did being scared become something fun and desirable? I suppose it’s nothing new in civilization. For centuries, people have done risky and dangerous things for the thrill of it, I guess. But I don’t get it. It is not fun to be frightened . As I sit here listening to the dramatic screams coming from her computer, I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever found delight in fear. I remember the firs...