Our True Crime Fascination
What makes us so intrigued by such macabre?
Back in 2015, I started to delve into true crime. Like many other people, I became enthralled by Netflix’s Making a Murderer. This documentary opened up Pandora’s box of sorts for me and started binging other true crime documentaries, and eventually started listening to podcasts on cases as well.
What made me and so many others fascinated with such a morbid subject, though?
The psychology behind the stories
A 2010 study found that women are seemingly more okay with the themes of violence than men. As women, we like to hear these stories because it gives us an idea of how not to become victims of these crimes. Also, in this study, the data showed that women are more likely to choose true crime books with some defense techniques. Again, another way for women to understand what to do if they were ever in the victim role.
Another reason I find myself drawn to true crime is the psychology of a person of how they grew up and their environment as a child. How nature vs. nurture affects them are interesting factors for me to consider when understanding why the offender may have committed those crimes. At least, what steered the cruel behavior in the first place is intriguing to me.
