Skip to main content

Behind Our Odd Fascination: Why We Love True Crime

     True crime is having a loud cultural moment right now. From new Netflix documentaries to chart-climbing podcasts, millions of everyday people are consuming this "dark" content. This raises the question--what makes this violent content so compelling to normal, non-violent people?

    Psychologists point to several theories on why people might be so entranced by true crime. A key explanation lies in morbid curiosity, an adaptive interest in learning about threats. It is in human nature to anticipate and perceive potential threats--this can be done by watching true crime and learning about documented violence. True crime offers a safe venue where people can observe dangers from a distance.

    Another reason true crime hooks people is because of the human desire to solve puzzles. Many true crime documentaries are structured in a way that leaves watchers guessing and theorizing about the cases. This process of making hypotheses and then typically receiving closure at the end of a true crime documentary can be rewarding, which can become "addicting" as the reward activates the brain's dopaminergic system--this interactive piece of watching true crime makes it even more binge-worthy.

    In a world plagued by so much violence and uncertainty, watching true crime can also provide a sense of control. This phenomenon is called terror management theory; humans can manage their fears of violence and death by becoming more informed about the structure and meaning of acts of violence which can be found in true crime. 

    One more thing worth noting is that the majority of true crime watchers (approximately 80 percent in 2024 according to Psychology Today) are women. Some suggest that this is because many women subconsciously desire to learn survival skills in a world where there is frequent gender-based violence. According to this theory, watching true crime for some women is a mechanism for survival and anticipating threats. 

    While true crime in itself is not a toxic form of media, an excessive consumption of violent media can lead to desensitization and romanticization. If you yourself are a watcher of true crime, it is important to understand the reality of the cases you learn about and to remain sensitive. As with many other forms of media, it is important to be cautious and consume true crime mindfully. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pareidolia: The Dangers of Interpretation

     Have you ever looked at the front of a car and seen a face staring back at you? Or seen a cloud that looks just like a bird? This phenomenon is called  pareidolia,  which is the tendency of human brains to interpret a vague stimulus as something familiar. Pareidolia is not solely a visual tendency, however: it is simply classified by an interpretation of any vague stimulus as something meaningful to the observer. Non visual examples of pareidolia include hearing sinister messages in reversed music or interpreting a headache as a brain tumor.      Humans naturally seek to find meaning where meaning is unclear. In fact, this habit is reinforced in schools through activities like literary analysis and interpreting the data recorded after a lab in science class. B ecause of the superfluity of pareidolia and the extensive interpretations it can offer an observer, pareidolia can often times be harmful.     Interpreting vague stimuli can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Normalized Addictions: How Many of Us Are Addicts

    When people hear the word "addiction," they often picture things that are extreme and obviously harmful like gambling and drugs. However, addiction does not always come in such dramatic forms--in fact, most people exhibit several if not all of the symptoms of addiction in certain aspects of their lives.      According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological disorders, one of the primary distinctions between an impulse and an addictive disorder is the presence of a craving that precedes a relapse or indulgence in the given substance or activity. The discovery that addicted gamblers have physical cravings is what eventually led gambling to being moved from the impulse control disorders category to the addictive disorders category. Impulse control disorders (like pyromania, for example) are also categorized by more sporadic behavior, while addictive behaviors like drinking and smoking often function as coping strategies.      I...
Post a Comment
Read more