The Popularity Of True Crime Media And The Obsession Behind It
Streaming and music services are flooded with true crime documentaries, movies, TV shows and podcasts.
Why is there such a demand for this kind of content? Why are we so fascinated by real murderers? How does such a morbid topic attract our attention?
It seems the obsession is nothing new. People used to pay to watch trials and the executions of convicted murderers before the internet was around. They were compelled to read crime books in the same way we are today.
The recent fascination of true crime media content can be traced to 2014 and 2015 when the incredibly popular podcast Serial and Netflix’s Making a Murderer docuseries were released.
Serial is one the oldest and amongst the most popular true-crime podcasts. Its first season amassed more than 300 million downloads.
While there has always been a massive interest in true crime, some people have voiced concerns that the genre exploits victims, survivors and family members, and makes the perpetrator a celebrity.
True crime media overwhelmingly presents white female victims, which has helped to distort and misrepresent crime in the United States. By under-representing minority victims, there is a lack of empathy and disconnect to minority victims in violent situations.
Serial killings make up less than 1% of murders in the United States and most violent crimes are committed by people we know, rather than what true crime media tends to focus on—strangers.
There are a number of reasons why people consume true crime media, for example, it can be therapeutic.
For people who have suffered trauma, hearing other people talk about what they have gone through can help and is a way of letting people know they are not alone.
True crime television also does a good job of educating viewers on how to stay safe and avoid dangerous situations.
For others, it’s just morbid curiosity that draws them in. Watching or listening to people dig for clues and piecing together information can be quite satisfying, so it’s a sure bet that true crime media will continue to skyrocket in popularity.
