aka "Kiddie Horror", or "Kiddypasta" Is a sub genre from internet horror, and has been around for quite some time, though it could be argued that FNAF pioneered the sub genre to popularity in 2015. It is used to describe either a game, movie, creepypasta, or horror franchise that pertains to younger audiences such as young Gen Z's and Alphas. Where as older
generations wouldn't
necessarily find them scary, rather seeing them as more edgy and cringeworthy, sometimes even laughably bad to the point where they wonder how some find this stuff creepy. This is because younger generations tend to be more emotionally susceptible to edgier content than others, and usually develop connections with them as part of brain development. In other words, they're retarded (with their emotions). Some examples of mascot horror such as FNAF, Bendy, Poppy Playtime, & Hello Neighbor usually contain content that is very recognizable and appealing towards these younger individuals mainly due to the cartoonish design of the characters, which is a crucial element in mascot horror. Other types of mascot horror such as Slender,
Squid Games, and Siren Head weren't
necessarily child friendly to begin with but as time went by,
mainstream media has transformed these once horrifying icons so poorly to the point where they aren't even regarded as scary anymore. Despite the name, "mascot" refers to the fact that each mascot horror franchise contains a main notable character, whether it be good or bad.
