With our kids immersed in technology throughout the day, we're often advised to limit screen time and switch off the TV. While I understand the rationale behind this, I can't help but feel that TV and movies have been unfairly criticized in recent years. Yes, there are certainly dark and negative shows and movies out there. But if you dig a little deeper, you'll find heartwarming, meaningful, and impactful stories on film that can ignite positive change in us and our children, bringing joy and inspiration into our lives. 

I spent time researching this topic during my dissertation. There is a wealth of literature on how watching TV can be a coping mechanism or freeze response and help us avoid dealing with difficult emotions or situations. My experience growing up had been very different. One of my favourite memories is of going to the 'video store' with my dad on weekends and picking out the movie we wanted to watch that weekend. Some of those films remain my favourites because they sparked my imagination, brought my family joy, and made me believe in big dreams. So, can watching movies or reading stories help us?

Psychologist and researcher Dr. Ryan Niemiec has conducted studies around positive psychology in movies. Positive psychology teaches us that each human possesses 24 character strengths in varying degrees. Unlike natural talents, these strengths can be learned, practised, and harnessed. Once you understand your Values in Action (VIA) character strengths, you can use them to enhance your well-being, navigate change, and manage difficult situations. It is motivating to explain this to young people; discovering your character strengths is akin to finding your unique fingerprint.

Dr. Niemiec published a book called 'Positive Psychology at the Movies,' which allows you to look up thousands of popular movies and provides an overview of the character strengths exhibited by the characters in that movie. You can also look up individual strengths and find a list of movies for your family to watch that demonstrate those strengths. 

What is the point of doing this? Research shows us that meaningful moves correlate with wanting to do things for others or be a better human. Niemiec and fellow researcher Danny Wedding call this concept cinematic elevation. With cinematic elevation, research shows that movie watchers demonstrated positive emotions, such as empathy and motivation to help others after watching positive films. A related concept, cinematic admiration, was found to occur when an individual sees character strengths in a movie that energizes them and motivates them to make actionable changes in their own life. 

Think watching Frozen and talking to your child about perseverance by showing how Elsa continuously strived to protect Arendelle and discover the truth about her powers, even in the adversity she faced. Or see the movie or broadway show Wicked and talk about how Glinda shows love towards Elphaba, going from rivalry to genuine friendship. 

So you see - watching movies can inspire us and our kids to make changes for the better or imagine new paths to goals or challenges, empowering us to shape a brighter future for our children.

Want to learn more about character strengths and how to find out your child's and your own? Click here for my I KNOW MY STRENGTHS character strengths kit, full of learning and activities. Contact me if you need movie ideas for your next character-strength-driven movie night!