Shows about Jeffrey Dahmer, The Night Stalker, and other well-known serial killers have become wildly popular in recent years, and while the curiosity may seem morbid, experts say there’s a biological reason for it.
One expert revealed that watching true crime shows is our way of preparing for similar real-world situations.
Such content “may have a learning component, or at least a perceived learning component,” said Coltan Scrivner, a research scientist at Denmark’s Recreational Fear Lab.
Scrivner also explained that this fascination probably began around 300,000 years ago, when humans began using language and engaged in proactive aggression rather than reactive aggression.
Those sentiments align with a new poll of 2,000 self-proclaimed true crime fans, which found that 76 percent think watching true crime content helps them avoid similar situations.
True crime shows like Netflix’s DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story could be our way of preparing for similar real-world situations
“Now this poses a problem for people because with proactive aggression, it’s hard to tell who is planning to harm you,” Scrivner said.
“So that put selective pressure on our minds to learn to seek information about potentially dangerous individuals.
“True crime can have a learning component, or at least a perceived learning component.
“We feel like we are better prepared in situations like this.
“So if this dangerous situation should arise, you feel a little more prepared and know what you should and shouldn’t do.”
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was released on September 21, 2022 and immediately shot to the top of Netflix’s top 10 list.
The series focused on the prolific serial killer’s crimes that occurred between 1978 and 1991.
The criminal and cannibal, who was eventually beaten to death in prison in 1994, was portrayed by Evan Peters, who previously worked with series creator Ryan Murphy on several seasons of American Horror Story.
Experts say this obsession dates back to such stories and serial killers as Jeffrey Dahmer (pictured) some 300,000 years ago, when humans began interacting proactively aggressively
And on January 21, 2021, Netflix released Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, chronicling the life and crimes of notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez.
Ramirez, best known by the nickname Night Stalker, was a serial rapist and serial killer who terrorized Los Angeles from 1984 to 1985, committing over a dozen murders involving victims ranging in age from six to 82.
Hailed as a real monster and a self-proclaimed Satan worshiper, the hunt for Ramirez is detailed in the four-part series from the perspective of the sheriffs who hunted him and the victims who escaped his grasp.
While some might think that individuals who delve into true crimes are more likely to commit violent crimes themselves, Scrivener sees no connection.
“So there are differences between being desensitized to graphic content on your TV and being OK with graphic content around you. A great example of this would be research on violent video games over the last 20 years,” continued Scrivner.
“It was a big deal because people feared that if video games became more realistic and the violence became more realistic, it would lead to children in particular becoming more violent.
“But the research at this point is pretty clear that playing violent video games doesn’t make kids more violent. I’m pretty sure the same is true for something like true crime, where watching true crime doesn’t make you any less empathetic to the victims or more empathetic to the killer or something.
Shows like Netflix’s Night Stalker “may have a learning component, or at least a perceived learning component”
However, research data from OnePoll shows that people are still obsessed with these wild-but-true stories.
The survey found that the average respondent watched five true crime programs each month.
About 75 percent said they watch the latest program as soon as it’s released, and 71 percent said they usually watch the whole program in one sitting.
The poll also found that 44 percent of respondents admit they have a “favourite” serial killer, and 67 percent would appreciate the opportunity to chat with one.
More than seven in ten respondents (71 percent) also admit that watching so much true crime content makes them feel less trustworthy of other people.
“It could have some psychological impact, but it’s very unlikely it would have any impact in that direction.”
A 2010 University of Illinois study into why women are drawn to true crime programs found that they may be more afraid of becoming a victim.
In this case, women believe these shows provide a playbook for survival tactics when they find themselves in the arms of a serial killer.
American interest in true crime as a form of infotainment dates back to the early 1900s.
Kelli Boling, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told Scripps News, “Usually it was women journalists who wrote these columns, and most of the time it was because they weren’t allowed to write about the news, so they were allowed to write it, which was considered more of a fluffy piece.’