Killers, Cases, and Crimes: The Shocking Effects of Society’s True Crime Obsession

https://doi.org/10.65161/reczPL5qYvNXchb1I

This literature review aims to explore the reasons for the popularity behind the true crime genre, as well as the individual and societal effects this genre has on the human mind. The popularity of this form of entertainment involves four main considerations, including the types of people consuming the genre, the psychology of morbid curiosity, the impact of the release of specific chemicals in the brain, and the enticement of mystery. The consumption of true crime episodes on the individual included two main findings, a variety of mental health conditions and variables in brain development. The societal impacts also had two notable discoveries: a lower level of both empathy and sympathy for others in people who consume true crime, which could lead to significant problems in society as a whole.