Some people enjoy horror, and that includes children. From kid-safe scary movies to popular TV shows, people crave frightening experiences. But being frightened is not a feeling most would describe as pleasant. While a stimulating experience, scary stories can affect children negatively and positively. So, what is creepypasta?
What Are Creepypasta Stories?
Most parents either don’t know or aren’t sure what “creepypasta” means if you ask. After all, a lot of Internet terms sound foreign unless heard regularly.
Creepypasta is essentially fan fiction for horror. Initially, these stories were short scary pieces online written by unknown authors. People would copy and paste the stories all over the web for fun. However, today it’s become a popular pastime for children and adults.
Often, the stories include disturbing images to help them spread. These are quite ghastly, almost guaranteed to keep anyone up at night. Additionally, creepypasta stories typically follow the same rules. The elements that makeup creepypasta stories are:
- The story must originate from the Internet
- It must be scary
- It must seem likely to happen or believable
- Anyone should be able to share it
On the point of believable, a question often asked by children and some parents is: are creepypastas real? While many creepypasta stories seem plausible or believable, they are 100% fake.
The History Of Creepypasta: What Does Creepypasta Mean And Why Is It Called That?
No one knows who began creepypastas. That’s because the first stories were from anonymous authors. However, the name itself is a combination of “creepy” and “copypasta.” The latter refers to widely copied blocks of texts pasted all around the web. Put those together, and you get “creepypasta”. A fitting name since people copy and paste the stories all over the Internet.
Genres or sub-genres of creepypasta
There are several genres of creepypasta, much like horror films. The list includes:
Lost Episode Creepypasta
Some authors write Creepypastas about lost episodes of TV shows. These stories typically revolve around catching a dark episode of popular shows. They usually have disturbing plots and feature a popular light-hearted franchise. For example, “Mickey’s Best Friend” is a “lost” Mickey Mouse episode from 1929 banned from ever airing.
Video Games
Video game creepypastas are short horror stories. These may be original or have sick and demented twists to real-life events/products. Many are well-written and horrifyingly descriptive. They usually instill unease about a particular thing.
A good example is “backrooms” – pretty much an interactive game.
The idea is about getting “stuck” in the backrooms. Think of it as another dimension of inescapable and never-ending rooms. The buildings or spaces are often empty and seem normal — like everyday ones. They typically feature yellow-walled rooms and gloomy office spaces populated with terrifying creatures. The creatures are usually just out of sight.
Psychotic Killers
These creepypastas tell of individuals, usually teenagers, that become psychopaths or killers. They often involve some trademark disfigurement. Usually, due to bullying, lousy childhood, accident, and the like. The motive for murdering people is typically revenge, fun, or something else.
Supernatural Monsters
These stories revolve around mythic, evil characters, such as “Slender Man.” They are typically origin stories – depicting how a character became evil. This includes what the character does to others and how often they appear in the real world.
Cursed Technology
You may remember The Ring, released in 2002. In the film, anyone who watched a haunted videotape would perish in seven days. The tape itself consists of nightmarish images. Authors have applied that idea to Internet content, such as YouTube videos and emails.
Examples Of Creepypasta
The Internet is crawling with millions of creepypasta stories. Scary tales of dark creatures & haunting ghouls spread across message boards like wildfire. You can find many examples by:
- Doing a simple Google search
- Visiting creepypasta.com – a dedicated site for stories
- Searching YouTube
- Browsing the creepypasta subreddit
- Looking up #creepypasta on Tumblr
- Checking out stories on the dedicated creepypasta section at Wattpad
Some of the most famous and scariest creepypastas include:
- Ben Drowned (aka Haunted Majora’s Mask) is a story about the ghost of a boy named Ben.
- Slender Man; is the story of a thin, tall character with a featureless head and face. Many consider it to be the scariest creepypasta story ever written.
- Suicidemouse.avi is a lost episode creepypasta featuring Mickey Mouse. It played a significant role in popularizing the lost episode genre.
- Mereana Mordegard Glesgorv is a mysterious YouTube video clip. It features a man staring intently before fading away with a nasty grin.
- Smile Dog is a supernatural entity. The dog haunts the lives of anyone who sees his face. Victims usually become insane or commit suicide.
The Dangers Of Creepypasta For Teens
There’s nothing inherently wrong with a good spooky story. However, kids can get overly involved with creepypasta. Spending tons of time immersed in terrifying material isn’t exactly healthy. Creepypasta tales of psychotic violence and murder are disturbing.
Children who indulge long-term can develop anxiety, excessive worry, and even paranoia. Payton Leutner’s story is an example of what can occur. Two girls lured her into the woods, where one stabbed the child 19 times. The kids intended to kill her to appease Slender Man. A perfect illustration of what could happen when children take ideas too far.
Additionally, some stories can trigger kids struggling with issues like suicide or self-harm. So what can parents do? You can limit screen time for your kids, activate privacy settings, and use a parental control app.
MMGuardian is an AI-Driven parental control application with intelligent monitoring capabilities. It can alert parents about potential dangers. An alert goes out whenever message exchanges indicate suicide ideation or violence.
Supporting Your Child
Now you can respond if anyone asks, “what is creepypasta?” But best of all, you’re now more equipped to deal with it if your child becomes interested. Ideally, you should get involved and discuss what stories are appropriate. Maybe even hold storytimes where you read some creepypastas together.
This may help your child feel comfortable discussing things with you. And that’s a win, which will allow you to spot potential issues early and intervene. For much younger children, ensure they are aware these stories are made-up. That way, you can avert any mental or social problems that may arise.
Lastly, children love creepypasta for the same reasons adults enjoy horror movies. Fear is one of those fascinating emotions that is by no means a pleasant one. It can affect people positively or negatively, yet many indulge. That is when it feels safe – when they can control it. That’s why people like to explore “haunted houses” and ride rollercoasters.
