Did the Scream movies inspire High School families?

No official confirmation but I've seen some speculation about the similarities.

The Sims 4 High School Years: 10 Best Pop Culture References

A staple of the horror genre, Scream serves up doomed teen romance and masked murdering rampages in droves. Copperdale carries on the legacy via the Prescott family. Named after Sidney Prescott, the main character of the films, the Prescotts are a staple of the Sims community and remain very active at the local high school.

https://www.thegamer.com/the-sims-4-high-school-years-best-pop-culture-references/#dark-campy-teen-shows

They made an Urban legend death in the sims 4 HSY’s too I think, didn’t they? That would certainly fit in the theme being talked about too.

Indeed... After all, if I remember it correctly, they have said in the livestream that as they feel like their high school years are outdated compared to the modern day, they took inspiration from teen movies and social media (TikTok for example).

For example, many teen movies have some sort of amusement park scene, so that's why Plumbite Pier has a Ferris Wheel, a Love Tunnel, and a Haunted House. Or that T-pose challenge is a reference to how social media challenges go around. And that Urban Myth is a reference to that scary viral Bloody Mary urban legend which teens like to dare other teens to do (or at least in movies).

I'll also share the livestream where they share some of the design ideas:
https://www.youtube.com/live/bN1xZLY7toU?feature=share&t=749