“I am Captain Marvel! I want to help my dad who is a police officer to get the bad guys and make them dead” – 8th grader.
Recently I attended my niece’s virtual parent workshop arranged by her school. One of the attendees shared that her kid keep fascinates Captain Marvel (A character based on Marvel Comics). She even pasted posters everywhere in her bedroom. The mother seems really concerned that she asked whether her child’s behaviour is normal or does it hurt her child’s character development. The discussion went on, but I dived in a reflective mode and started recalling how I fascinate Superman in my childhood? Basically, the fictional character helped me to overcome some of the gruesome fears and anxiety in my youth. The question is, why we sometimes resonate with such fictional characters and how it impacts us?
Dr Janina Scarlet, a clinical psychologist who uses Super Hero Therapy at the CSAM, believes that we all experienced hard times in almost every phase of our lives. She suggests that identifying with fictional characters can actually be extremely beneficial as it can teach us empathy, remind us that we are not alone in our painful experience, inspire us to eat healthier, and allow us to better cope with difficult life transitions. Sometimes people who are more casual fans might think it’s strange to be so attached to fictional characters; however, it’s completely natural to have such an emotional bond with the fictional characters. Continue reading “Why Do We Need A Superhero in Our Lives?”