Despite its morbid nature, the “True Crime” genre has become a modern staple. Widespread audiences will tune in to documentaries, TV series, podcasts, and books based on real-life crime incidents. Most recently, the notorious 1995 O.J. Simpson murder case resurfaced in popularity after his death on Wednesday, April 10. The “Trial of the Century” had 150 million people closely listening and dissecting every detail of the Simpson verdict.
The Simpson case was a pillar in defining true crime media as entertainment. Now, it seems like you cannot scroll on any streaming service or social media app without getting some kind of true crime report. Even in school, we listened to the “Serial” podcast with Adan Sayed and the murder of Hae Min Lee in my English class last year.
But even though true crime may be a widely accepted choice of entertainment, is it really “normal” to be so infatuated with something that is often explicit or violent?
To preface, I am not saying that we should banish the true crime genre entirely; I have enjoyed my fair share of the genre myself. Even so, the impact that true crime can imprint on our minds is something necessary to consider before turning on the TV.
True crime content can encompass varying degrees of offenses, from fraud schemes to brutal murders, and takes a deep dive into all the details and missing pieces of the story. Many viewers are drawn into the genre for its elements of suspense, curiosity, and the possibility of uncovering hidden truths.
In a 2022 survey, half of Americans enjoyed watching true crime, with one in three respondents stating that they consume true crime content once a week. It is important to note that not all true crime content has a murderous or overly-graphic subject. For example, the March release of docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” gained attention for exposing the mistreatment and exploitation of child actors on TV channel Nickelodeon. Additionally, the 2020 “Tiger King” series is Netflix’s most successful release to date.
However, graphic crime subjects is what takes over other true crime in popularity. In Vivnit’s 2023 survey on true crime consumption, the bulk of most-viewed true crime content focuses on murder, such as “Dateline,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” “DAHMER,” and “Making A Murderer.” For reference, the investigative journalism series “Dateline” has had its last ten episodes report on murder cases, and from 2015-2019, 70% of crimes committed in the series were murder.
An issue within true crime content is that it is too easy to get your hands on. Based on Vivint’s survey, millennials are most likely to watch true crime on Netflix, which only requires $6.99 a month. The accessibility of true crime media makes it easy to enter a rabbit hole of disturbing content. Vivint’s survey also reported that 73% consume true crime out of curiosity. While morbid curiosity, or a particular interest in death and/or violent subjects, is often part of our human nature, it is not something that is meant to be fueled.
Furthermore, there are numerous entertainment media sources creating different perspectives of a singular crime incident, glamorizing the case to attract viewers. To illustrate, there have been 21 film and TV features of Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous serial killer, creating graphic depictions of Dahmer’s murders, cannibalism and sexual assaults. The 2022 “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” overtook media and the series received 1 billion hours of viewing within the first 60 days of its release.
This in itself is a discussion, but another factor to weigh in is the audiences that can see this. As younger generations are integrated into the digital age, they are able to have the same access to true crime media as an adult would. From Vivint’s survey, Gen Z is most likely to consume true crime via YouTube or TikTok, which are free streaming platforms. Even with safety guidelines, I can affirm as a member of Gen Z that you are able to hear about crime cases in the same detail that would be given in a more formal documentary.
It is not common to hear people feeling “better” or “happy” after watching true crime. Over-indulging in the true crime genre can negatively impact viewers’ mental state and how they take in their surroundings. On one hand, the repeated exposure can lead to desensitization, which causes you to feel less sensitive or “numb” to sensitive content from the repeated exposure to explicit content. On the other hand, you could become too sensitive and vigilant. For instance, you could listen to a true crime podcast while doing your daily routine without any strong feelings invoked, but then experience a delayed reaction when you are afraid to sleep at night out of paranoia.
34% of respondents in Vivint’s survey said that consuming true crime made them more fearful of their surroundings and 30% said that it made them feel more anxious. But when rates of murder are on a steady decline and have been since the end of 2022, the fears invoked or reinforced by true crime consumption become less realistic.
However, it is not necessarily a negative when Vivint reports 63% of respondents prioritizing their safety or 39% investing in home security after indulging in true crime. Generally, true crime media is less ill-intentioned than it is trying to spread awareness. There have been several instances in which true crime actually assisted in a significant breakthrough with the crime case. For example, “Unsolved Mysteries” covered a 2017 child abduction incident, including the age-progression photo of what she may have looked like since the abduction. Weeks after the episode was released in 2022, a store owner recognized the victim from the age-progression photo.
The ethics of true crime may be debatable, but what is most important is your individualized approach toward the content. It is crucial to find a healthy balance between your true crime consumption and other media consumption to preserve your well-being.
