Recently, true crime documentaries such as “Dateline NBC” and “Unsolved Mysteries” have become popular amongst Gen Z viewers, with avid watchers having an average of 4.6 hours of consumption per week — higher than that of Gen X, Millennial and Baby Boomer consumers.
Known for depicting tragic reenactments of murderers and their victims through podcasts, television shows, and movies, true crime documentaries have recently gained rising traction in the media. Netflix’s “Dahmer,” a true crime anthology series, follows American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s life and the murders he was convicted of. However, instead of being presented as a source of information, it is marketed as a drama for viewing enjoyment.
What could be the appeal of such gruesome content? According to Psychology Today, people generally enjoy watching these shows to feel the satisfaction of seeing dangerous criminals get locked away, to be reminded of their luxuries in life, to better prepare themselves in case such a situation arises in their own life or to fuel their desire to play ‘detective,’ inciting a sense of ‘guilty pleasure’ people might derive from consuming true crime.
What’s more is that by taking real-life horror stories and reconfiguring them into television shows, the media creates a dark indulgence that can take a toll on one’s mental health, especially in youth.
Though the psychological effects of consistently consuming these films can vary from person to person, it often leaves an individual with heightened fear, skewed perceptions of reality, paranoia, sleep deprivation, nightmares and stress.
Constantly being exposed to serial killers in the media can desensitize one to the reality of crime, as consumers are given an intimate look into the perspective and mindset of murderers. By understanding the trauma that might be a cause of the criminals’ actions, viewers begin to believe that their deeds are justified in some twisted way. No amount of trauma will ever justify taking another’s life.
It doesn’t help that Hollywood casts conventionally handsome actors as offenders. Examples of this are Zac Efron as Ted Bundy in Netflix’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” and Ross Lynch as Jeffrey Dahmer in “My Friend Dahmer.” Doing this increases the already present glorification of serial killers and possibly hybristophilia — feeling attracted to criminals.
This also causes a conflict between admiring the actors’ work and recognizing the atrocity of crimes committed. Of course, fans want to praise actors for their performances, but to what extent? How much can one appreciate a role before they become blindsided to the crimes that were depicted?
Movies and television shows aren’t the only things fueling this interest in true crime. This genre is also found in podcasts and literature. Examples are the podcast “Serial,” which dives deeper into a real-life murder case and the novel “American Predator” by Maureen Callahan, which follows the story of Israel Keyes, a serial killer who committed several unsolved crimes. Both are highly rated and streamed, proving how intriguing true crime can be.
For the families of victims, these recreations can be re-traumatizing to read about or watch. The issue at hand is that personal tragedies are being used for commercial gain and treated like stories instead of true and devastating events.
The ultimate driver of true crime’s popularity is fear. Consumers tend to want to experience a scary scenario without having to feel the danger or trauma associated with it. The media makes it both easy and accessible for people to do this, given how many books, podcasts, shows and movies are available to the public.
Consuming true crime in moderation won’t have as large an effect on one’s mental health, but constantly doing so can add a sense of burden on consumers by adding to their stress and anxiety. Also, the media tricks audiences into rooting for a killer because they are played by charismatic artists. The psychological effects of consuming true crime go beyond being curious about the subject, and the media’s deliberate, entertainment-based portrayal of sensitive topics can desensitize the audience.
