We’ll get right to the point: we love true crime. Seriously, we can’t get enough of the true-crime documentaries, true crime podcasts, and our personal favorite, true crime books. In fact, after a long day, our ideal evening consists of devouring a hot pizza, pouring a glass of our favorite wine, and winding down with a little homicide. And we know we aren’t alone in this, but what’s the deal? Why are we all obsessed with serial killers, cold cases, and unsolved mysteries? Let’s see what the experts have to say.
(image via: cleveland clinic)
Everybody loves a good trainwreck. Serial killers and specifically their actions are so horrible that we can’t help but want to know every last detail, in other words, we simply can’t look away.
We like to control how scared we get. All things true crime take us into the minds of the scariest, darkest humans, and we can do this while we sit on our couch. And when things get a little too scary or a little too real? We can switch from true crime to trashy reality TV in a matter of seconds.
Knowing every last detail about a gruesome murder helps us feel significantly more prepared. Interestingly enough, this pertains more so to women. In 2010 a study found that women were more drawn to true crime books that contained tips on how to defend an attacker as well as books that were predominantly about a killer’s motives and books with female victims. Amanda Vicary, the study’s lead author, told the Huffington Post that “by learning about murders—who is more likely to be a murderer, how do these crimes happen, who are the victims, etc.—people are also learning about ways to prevent becoming a victim themselves.” (source)
(image via: istock)
Because we all love an adrenaline rush. Watching, listening, or reading anything true-crime related gives us just enough of an adrenaline kick to keep us wanting more. Kind of like watching a scary movie or riding a rollercoaster. You get a little taste for it, then you’re addicted.
No news is … not how this works. The news stations and social media LOVE to cover true crime which means it’s nearly impossible to escape the latest case.
We all want to be the one to solve the case. Most of the time all of the information regarding a murder is presented to us as a puzzle, one that we must solve before anyone else. Or at least the detectives and attorneys that are actually involved in the case.