The Creepiest Time of the Year

photo courtesy of Google

Written by: Sam Harper

​Recently, in English class, we read a story about following traditions of society. There are many things we do just because of peer pressure. Maybe we need to change up some things and start considering why we even do them in the first place. I feel there are some weird traditions that we practice today. The one tradition that this article will focus on is the tradition of “elf on the shelf.”

So first of all, why would you tell your kids that there's a demonic looking ‘stuffed elf’ in your house spying on you to report to Santa? Like sure it might make your kids behave well so they get ‘presents’, but why lie to them? The tradition of Santa Claus is one thing, but making kids think there's a creepy, tiny, human-like creature spying on you and messing up your house at night doesn't seem that smart.

The fact the parents/guardians move the elf every once in a while just seems to add to the fact that it's real. After kids get older, and wiser, I bet that gets really creepy. I bet kids have nightmares and phobias of possessed dolls because of this idiotic tradition. 

Ewan Gillion, a sanctioned psychologist, stated: “The elf itself is one which most children usually consider a positive Christmas character; however they may start to feel uneasy knowing that it’s going to come ‘alive’ during the night and they won’t know when, or see it moving around. This unknown can cause real anxiety, especially for, those who may already have a fear of ‘haunted toys’, or toys they have seen come alive in films.”
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Adding to that, it's going to pressure and stress out kids, thinking they're being noted on their behavior. According to positiveparentingsolutions.com, “Knowing that Santa’s Elf is constantly watching over them can create discouragement and anxiety for kids—especially for those who struggle with impulse control or who have difficulty making good choices.”
With all this evidence, it's obvious that this particular tradition needs to be thrown out. The physical and mental effects are not worth risking for ‘good behavior’ or ‘something fun to do annually’. This just helps add to the argument which is; some traditions just need to be changed or stopped completely.