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For decades, parents have been telling wide-eyed children that a certain affable, overweight man with a beard and wearing a red coat would come down chimneys to leave them presents in the dead of night. Indeed, the legend of Santa Claus has become such a huge part of western society that he has become synonymous with Christmas itself. However, a new study says that telling children this fairy tale is not only irresponsible, it could lead to irreparable damage.
According to a study that was published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, allowing children to believe that Father Christmas exists and all the accompanying details with regards to it can permanently harm the moral compass of children. This is based on the research done by two psychologists, Chris Boyle from the University of Exeter and Kathy McKay from the University of New England, Australia.
The pair argues that telling children stories that they wholeheartedly believe such as that of Santa Claus, no matter how harmless it may seem, can cause them to distrust the people who they believe misled them. In most cases, these would be the parents of said children.
“The Santa myth is such an involved lie, such a long-lasting one, between parents and children, that if a relationship is vulnerable, this may be the final straw,” McKay said. “If parents can lie so convincingly and over such a long time, what else can they lie about?”
Neither of the two is planning on ruining Christmas fun for the kids of other parents anytime soon, The Guardian reports, since this is a choice that the parents themselves have to make. They couldn’t even agree on exactly what they would do if they were in a position to support or dispel the myth.
McKay has a godchild who currently believes in Santa Claus and said that if she were to be asked about him, she would tell the truth. On the other hand, Boyle says he would likely go along with the story if he was a father.
