Recently, I have become a huge fan of true crime television shows. At first, I explained my sudden interest and binge-watching as “research.” After all, I have spent much of my life focused on mental health advocacy, healing, empathy, and understanding human behavior. It seemed reasonable to tell myself I was simply studying the darker corners of the human mind. Yet there I was, completely absorbed in documentaries about murders, disappearances, fraud, and criminal investigations, sometimes watching for hours at a time.
What surprised me most was not the crimes themselves, but the people involved: the victims, the families, the investigators, and even the offenders. True crime stories often reveal the complexity of trauma, fear, manipulation, resilience, and survival in ways that fictional stories sometimes cannot. They remind us that human behavior is rarely simple and that the line between safety and tragedy can feel disturbingly thin.
When I started talking to other people about these shows, I discovered I was far from alone. True crime has become one of the most popular entertainment genres in the world. Podcasts, streaming series, documentaries, books, and YouTube channels centered around crime attract millions of loyal followers. Research has even suggested that a large percentage of true crime audiences are women, many of them under the age of 30.
Considering I am twice their age, I started to wonder how consuming this kind of content can affect our mental health, or influence harmful behaviors in our society.
The answer, like most things involving psychology, is complicated.
The Psychology Behind the Fascination
Human beings are naturally drawn to stories. Long before television existed, people gathered around fires sharing stories about danger, survival, betrayal, and justice. True crime taps into some of our deepest psychological instincts.
Part of the fascination comes from curiosity. People want to understand what could drive another human being to commit terrible acts. We search for explanations because understanding danger can make us feel safer and more prepared.
For many viewers—especially women—true crime can also create a sense of control. Studies have suggested that some women are drawn to true crime because they are subconsciously gathering information about warning signs, manipulation, abusive behavior, or survival strategies. In a strange way, these stories can be educational.
There is also the emotional component. Real life often feels uncertain and chaotic, but true crime stories usually end with answers, arrests, or at least some sort of resolution. Our brains are wired to seek closure.
Adrenaline also plays a role. Watching something frightening from the safety of our couch creates a controlled experience of fear. The brain releases stress hormones and dopamine, creating a strange mix of anxiety and excitement similar to riding a roller coaster.
The Effect on Mental Health
Although true crime can be fascinating and entertaining, research suggests that too much exposure can affect our emotional well-being.
The human brain was not designed to absorb endless hours of violence, trauma, and fear-based storytelling. Over time, constant exposure can increase anxiety, hypervigilance, distrust, and even hopelessness about humanity.
Some people begin to see danger everywhere. Others become emotionally numb. And for individuals already living with anxiety, PTSD, depression, or trauma histories, true crime can sometimes trigger emotional distress without them even realizing it.
I have noticed this in myself. After watching hours of true crime TV, I sometimes become more suspicious of people which can be emotionally draining.
Can True Crime Create More Criminals?
This question is harder to answer.
Most people who watch true crime will never commit violent acts. In fact, many viewers are highly empathetic people trying to understand human behavior and suffering.
For example, John Hinckley Jr. became obsessively fixated on the movie Taxi Driver and actress Jodie Foster before attempting to assassinate Ronald Reagan in 1981. Similarly, the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre reportedly consumed violent media and became fascinated with previous acts of mass violence, although experts continue to debate how much media itself directly contributed to their actions.
At the same time, most researchers agree that media alone does not “create” criminals. Human behavior is shaped by a complex combination of biology, trauma, environment, mental health, personality, access to weapons, social influences, and life experiences. Media is usually considered one factor among many, rather than the sole cause.
What concerns me most is not that true crime is “creating” criminals on a large scale, but that our culture sometimes turns killers into celebrities. We often know the names of murderers while forgetting the names of victims. Entire industries profit from trauma, and sometimes the line between education and entertainment becomes blurred.
Watching With Awareness
I do not think enjoying true crime automatically means something is wrong with a person. Human beings have always been interested in the darker side of life. In many ways, true crime reflects our desire to understand fear, justice, morality, survival, and the complexity of the human mind.
But I also think we need to pay attention to how the content affects us emotionally.
Does it leave us informed or emotionally drained?
Curious or constantly fearful?
Compassionate toward victims or simply entertained by suffering?
Like almost everything else in life, moderation matters.
As for me, I will probably still watch the occasional true crime documentary. But I will make a conscious effort to balance those stories with content that also reminds me of kindness, resilience, hope, and healing.
Because while darkness may capture our attention, it should never completely shape our view of humanity.
Written by Candace Schoner, Author of Recipe for Happier Life – Apron Optional