Behind every compelling headline lies a story worthy of recognition, though, in the world of true crime, recognition turns twisted when exposed to the wrong audience. The audience continues to grow, seeping into the social fabric of high school students and even younger children, cultivating an obsession with darkness among all ages. In recent years, true crime has gained popularity and become one of the top media genres in the U.S. Movies, videos, shows and podcasts loved by consumers showcase horrific events occurring all over the globe. Studies by Edison Research show that up to 84% of the U.S. population older than 13 consumes true crime content through both videos and podcasts.
Although media that highlight tragic events and news prove necessary to separate the present from the past and can act as a way of preventing repetition, negative aspects of these media still exist. For example, film companies can present criminals in a romantic and innocent way. This misrepresentation leads uninformed individuals, especially those who lack the sensibility to understand the true horrors of certain crimes, to glorify the events that occurred. This glorification results in detrimental consequences, such as harm to the mental health of both those who consume such content and those involved in said crimes.
Crime and violence may seem strange, but the taboo people attribute to unlawful acts can justify society’s interest in the subject. Humans find the absurd intriguing because of a morbid psychological curiosity. This survival mechanism performs as an evolutionary adaptation to keep homo-sapiens safe because it allows them to explore the scary aspects of their reality with interest.
“We find it compelling to imagine people in difficult situations and what they would do in these situations because ultimately it is a metaphor for our own lives. We have all experienced danger and dire situations. It’s staggering, the number of TV shows that begin with a dead body or a crime. I think it’s because it’s a fear that we all have, death and violence, it’s what makes it compelling in terms of stories. It’s a rupture in the social fabric where we’re all going through our day and then this terrible thing happens and that throws everybody into this heightened space of high stakes. In storytelling, we often talk about high stakes of life and death. That’s often the best kind of storytelling, and true crime is just that.” Professor of Dramatic Writing and director of Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Northwestern University, Zayd Dohrn said.
From the Aztecs’ human sacrifices to the obsession with dark and brutal theatre performances of Greek societies, an interest in morbidity has existed as a part of human nature. True crime traces back to the 1500s in England, where pamphlets and ballads about crimes spread. The morality of morbid topics, such as true crime, has varied depending on the period and cultural background of population . Morals, on the other hand, have led to debate; depending on the culture and time period of a country the morality of true crime remains ever-changing.
Closer to the 21st century, the infamous crime couple, Bonnie and Clyde, excellently exemplified the interest in true crime. The lawless couple committed a variety of misdeeds, such as robberies, murders and gang membership between 1932 and 1934, yet people mention them to this day, alluding to the two in songs, movies and literature. This long-term popularity of criminal acts shows that true crime has maintained its place as a classical genre throughout the centuries, and that legacy may not end soon.
With the creation of the Internet, true crime’s availability has skyrocketed, leading to debate of the ethics of the subject. 62% of young users see disturbing content online, such as violent, abusive or misleading posts, but this percentage does not prove that social media should entirely receive the blame. In the current day and age, social media exists as a major platform for teens to communicate with peers and has become crucial for certain demographics to not feel left behind by their friends. Social media will continue to receive usage no matter how much inappropriate content emerges on it, and even without its existence, dark content would continue to spread and receive enjoyment because of its popularity throughout history
Unlawful acts do not receive criticism only in true crime, as even fictional crime receives criticism; for example, Stephen King, the “King of horror,” faces criticism due to the graphic and morbid content of his novels. The work he creates receives negative feedback from the public because it appeals to only a part of the population, and it lacks a broad appeal to an audience that finds his writing inappropriate and taboo. A similar trend of backlash has emerged in response to “BookTok” on the social media platform TikTok.
This trend focuses on dark romance novels, where the male main character commits various violent crimes, yet the characters still receive praise as consumers justify his actions simply because of his role in the book. Supporters of this content reason that the actions of the male main character only prove passion, and therefore, they do not cause harm as the main female character enjoys the mistreatment. Other TikTok users argue that this media should stop as it harms young adults’ perceptions of romantic relationships.
The representation of taboo topics, both real and imagined, in current media may stem from the stress that is fostered in our society due to political, social and cultural tension. For example, the romanticization of Luigi Mangione’s actions of killing the United Healthcare CEO in late 2024 cultivated an online revolution of TikTok activists asserting the punk values of eating the rich and overthrowing the government. Although this short trend may seem silly and unimportant, Mangione’s fame shows young adults and teenagers’ dissatisfaction with the U.S. government as young individuals speak out on their opinions. This mobilization allows them to excuse and potentially even praise killers. Mangione’s actions caused an uprising in remembrance of specific social issues like class divides, the ethics of owning massive sums of money and specific problems within the cost of healthcare. True crime, including Mangione’s case, sheds light on social issues, resulting in discussion and awareness.
Setting the social morale of this subject aside, the issue with true crime greatly arises when people create true crime content only for economic gain. Shows, movies, podcasts and videos can approach horrific and traumatizing events without care and consideration of the welfare and consent of those involved and the creators of this media may only create content for fame or economic growth. This reason behind the content raises serious ethical questions, as such media may lead to the popularity of specific killers and criminals, who later receive romanticization and praise for their actions. The support of criminals only contributes to further harming the actual victims and their families.
“Before, there were a few trustworthy major media outlets that people would turn to for information. Say, if it were TV channels, there were just a few channels, like Cable News Network (CNN) or in terms of print media, it was the New York Times or the Washington Post. With the addition of social media, there were a lot more media sources and influences. So it became much harder for people to figure out the true sources because anybody can share information. And actually, we are becoming more and more humane and less violent and the 21st century was one of the most peaceful centuries in terms of violence,” Professor of criminal justice at Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, University of New Haven, Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo (PhD) said.
Those who experienced crimes may develop trauma and mental health issues from the violence or grief. Receiving publicity from traumatic events adds to the harm of the individuals, especially if the criminal’s wrongdoings receive justification from the media. For example, the 2022 television show “Dahmer,” highlighted the crimes of the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Although this Netflix series did not purposefully paint Dahmer as a positive character, a portion of social media users praised and empathized with his actions and romanticized the man regardless of his multiple killings and inhumane actions. These supporters harmed the families directly affected by Dahmer’s killings through forced publicity.
Pretty privilege represents a reason behind the glorification of criminals despite their actions. This phenomenon holds that conventionally attractive people receive societal advantages and overall superior treatment. People may subconsciously create psychological biases based on appearance, creating the so-called “Halo Effect,” which associates attractive physical appearances with positive and desirable traits. In terms of true crime, people dismiss the harmful actions of an individual and admire them only for their attractive looks.
This phenomenon does not serve as the only reason for the romanticization of criminals. For example, serial killers, an extremely popular focus of true crime, exhibit features of antisocial personality disorder, which include a charming personality, in addition to their potentially attractive looks. This may lead them to obtain fans who begin to develop unhealthy obsessions with these serial killers and idealize them. In addition, the sheer love for serial killers, named Bonnie-and-Clyde syndrome, or hybristophilia, can cause an influx in crimes. For example, Ted Bundy, the subject of widespread hybristophilia, caused an increase in the crime rate due to his popularity as he received letters from fans and obtained followers who looked up to his actions.
True crime may also harm the individuals consuming it. For example, 25% of children exposed to disturbing content and violent television programs may experience a lessening of sensitivity to the pain and suffering of others and may act with aggression and violence toward those around them. In addition, violent content increases the likelihood of people developing anxiety, depression, stress reactions and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I feel like true crime is alright, but I also think that some aspects are bad, such as companies trying to make a profit off someone’s misfortune, not letting them move on. This may impact them psychologically and not let them move on. It also invalidates what the victims experienced, as the film companies may downplay it. Although it does give coverage to a story that otherwise would have been ignored,” magnet sophomore Dalyah Arauz said.
Humans have consumed true crime media since the beginning of time. From medieval plays and poems to current TikToks and tweets, all forms of media resemble a way of connection and communication. Social media plays the role of a community in the current world, and communities cultivate the perceptions of the world among populations. Therefore, the content individuals see on social media essentially forms their realities, which explains why toxic content online manifests itself as mental health issues. The content people consume also influences behavior, potentially causing individuals to repeat the actions they see through true crime.
“[True crime and morbid stories] can be problematic because they trigger a certain part of us that we prefer did not exist. The part of our brain that’s interested and fascinated by violence, the anti-social part, is interested; meanwhile, the good part of our brain does not want to be. As animals, we are programmed to be fascinated by certain things, and sex and violence are among those things. I think there is a certain problematic element to it, but I don’t think there is anything detrimental to it.” Dohrn said.
True crime media, if created safely and properly with the consent of all individuals affected by the crime, can exist as an excellent way to honor the victims and to bring awareness to societal issues. For this to work, however, individuals who consume such media need to fully understand the extent of the crimes. Although consumers must keep in mind that their mental health remains a priority, a social media feed showcasing negative content may influence their mindset and cause their mindset to become negative. Responsible and reasonable consumption of true crime may feed the morbid curiosities of populations without major consequences.
