Psychologist Explains Our Lockdown Obsession With True Crime TV
From documentaries examining historic crimes in forensic detail to TV shows that dramatise the lives of notorious murderers, we have become a nation obsessed with the true crime genre.
But what is driving this true crime obsession?
Entertainment brand MrQ spoke with psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge, who has provided five reasons behind our obsession with true crime TV.
True crime allows us to experience fear in a safe way
There is no denying that there's a twisted entertainment value to true crime TV, and Dr. Pamela Rutledge explains the reason for this: we enjoy experiencing fear in a safe environment, and it's especially potent when we know something terrifying really happened.
Dr. Rutledge says: "The attraction to true crime television has an evolutionary basis. Crime attracts our attention because we are hardwired to notice things that indicate danger; we instinctively watch to see if we are at risk. We are naturally curious. Finding answers and solutions makes us feel safer and more satisfied. True crime shows are a specific genre that signals a mystery story with the added adrenaline reaction from knowing something really happened. We enjoy the emotional experience of suspense and threat in entertainment because it allows us to experience fear in a safe way."
We want to understand the nature of evil
Dr. Rutledge suggested that we are also obsessed by stories about murder because we have a desire to understand what could enable someone to do something so evil.
"Evil is a fundamental social taboo. We want to understand why evil—acts that violate social order—can happen and what drives individuals who are so untethered to social values," says Dr. Rutledge.
"Crime, especially violent crime, challenges the inherent cognitive bias of a ‘just world’ where bad things shouldn’t happen to good people. We watch to be reassured that order is restored to support that belief."
Lockdown has heightened our obsession with true crime
True crime shows have been especially popular since lockdown. But why is that? In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, Dr. Rutledge explains that stories of criminals being brought to justice can affirm a sense of order.
Dr. Rutledge says: "The anxiety around COVID increases our sense of discomfort and vulnerability. True crime shows that reaffirm a sense of order, where they catch the 'bad guys', reduce our sense of victimisation."
"True crime makes us feel safer and more prepared—both positive emotional states. They can decrease our sense of helplessness by restoring order in real life and providing the emotional pay-off of narrative resolution."
Binge-watching true-crime TV can make us more anxious
Whilst a healthy diet of true crime might actually have some positive effects, there's bad news for true crime obsessives though: binge-watching these shows can make you much more anxious about the world.
Dr. Rutledge explains: "People who watch a lot of crime news are more likely to view the world as a dangerous place — similarly, people who watch true crime and treat it as news rather than entertainment. After all, TV is always curated – whether through scripting, voiceovers, juxtaposition of content that frames meaning or choices as to what to include."
