With true crime podcasts being the third most popular genre on streaming platforms and popular true crime podcasts like My Favourite Murderer doing nationwide tours, it’s fair to say that for many of us, true crime is more than just a casual listen.
There are even influencers who do their makeup while discussing true crime stories in a twist on popular “get ready with me” videos – with some racking up millions of views.
But, why do we find comfort and solace in such horrifying content?
According to Psychology Today, there are five reasons why we may be drawn to true crime podcasts and content. These include:
- We find the narrative formula “comforting”.
- True crime content reinforces a sense of moral clarity.
- It reminds us of our own relative luck.
- It provides thrills similar to horror films.
- It makes us feel like we understand criminals more and therefore feel more equipped to deal with real-life crime.
However, according to psychologist Dr Thema Bryant, if you find a lot of comfort in true crime, this could be a sign of some underlying psychological distress.
Speaking on the Mel Robbins podcast, Dr Bryant said: “If your idea of relaxing before you go to sleep is watching three episodes of Law and Order, I would encourage you to think about ‘why is trauma relaxing to me?’”
Dr Bryant went on to say that the themes found within crime entertainment like “harm, crime, violation, attacks” soothe people into their bedtime and the reason for this, according to some of her patients, is that these things are “normal and familiar” for those who grew up in high stress environments.
She added that people who have been raised in these environments “mistake peace for boring” and so find themselves returning to what they know.
However, according to a professor at the John Jay College Of Criminal Justice, Dr Elizabeth Jeglic, true crime can be healing for people who have experienced trauma.
She said: “I think it might be likely that people who have a history of trauma might be drawn to true crime to kind of re-experience those traumatic situations in a safe environment where they have more control.”