I have found that some images portrayed in movies or programs have impacted my views of life. Vivian (2011) discusses "suspension of disbelief."
When I reflect on the effects of media images, there is one format, horror movies, that I have always been cognizant about watching. My general rule is that I do not watch them because the images tend to stay with me long term and because no matter how unlikely or unrealistic the action or plots in the movie may seem, I still find myself looking for monsters when I go to bed. Thus, my philosophy is clearly skewed. From my childhood, I still remember scenes from a scary movie entitled, "The Car."
Vivian (2011) identifies this skewed philosophy as the suspension of disbelief. This "occurs when you surrender doubts about the reality of a story and become caught up in the story" (Chapter 6, p. 150). In a sense, you react as though what is occurring on the screen is actually real.
Has anyone else experienced the "suspension of disbelief" when watching movies or television programs?
Please respond with at least 50 words.