Written By: Tzvi Prochnik, LCSW
It seems like everywhere you look these days a new true crime series is coming out. Just over the last few weeks, Netflix has released Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story about one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. A few weeks before that there was Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes, another docuseries about an infamous serial killer. A quick google search reveals 48 of the top options for true crime docuseries to watch on Netflix that have come out in the past few years alone. But what makes these types of shows so appealing to the general public? Why does American society seem have a fascination with grisly murderers and criminals? Is there something wrong with us for liking to spend our evenings watching shows about psychopaths?
There are several possible answers to this question that have a lot to say about human psychology and the ways our brains work. Our brains have a small almond shaped mass near the center called the amygdala. The amygdala is primarily associated with governing our fear response, or what is popularly known as the “fight, flight or freeze” response. The amygdala is part of what is sometimes referred to as the “reptilian brain” which basically means that it is a primitive part of the brain that isn’t governed by logic and rational reasoning. Essentially, the amygdala was designed to react to frightening stimuli like a tiger charging at us in the jungle by either making us run “flight”, “fight” or stay still “freeze” in the hopes that the tiger won’t eat us. The amygdala responds before the more rational parts of our brain can weigh the pros and cons of our different options. In terms of survival, the amygdala is very useful. If a wild animal is charging at us we don’t have time to think about our different options, we just have to react before we get eaten. But, as human civilization has developed and we have come to lead generally danger-free lives, the amygdala can start to create some issues for our well being. The reason for this is because the amygdala responds to frightening images and thoughts in much the same way it responds to actual physical danger.
So bringing it all back to true crime series, part of the reason why people enjoy these shows so much is because just by watching a show about a murderer the amygdala comes online and releases the same hormones that you would get if you were actually being chased by a murderer. Our bodies release stress hormones in response to perceived danger that include adrenaline and cortisol. In the short term, these hormones sharpen our senses, make us feel strong, and ready to react. In the long term, having chronically elevated levels of stress hormones can make us feel depleted and unhappy. So, by watching a true crime series we are artificially hijacking our stress response system and releasing these hormones that can make us feel invigorated and fully tuned in to our senses. By experiencing fear in a controlled environment, like in the safety of our living rooms we get the same type of thrill we would have in an actual fear-provoking situation but we know that we’re safe.
There are of course other reasons as well why people enjoy watching true crime series. It can be intriguing for people who may not be exposed to sociopaths and murderers on a daily basis to learn more about the psychology behind why people commit horrible crimes. There is a fascination with the belief that behind every seemingly “good person” there lurks a more sinister side. The reality is that while every person has negative or dark thoughts at times, the vast majority of people never act on them, and in fact the people who do tend to act on violent urges generally don’t see it as wrong and get a sense of enjoyment committing these acts. These types of shows can give the misleading impression that serial killers are more common than they actually are, and that we can’t trust anyone because our friendly neighbor could be an ax-murderer. While of course serial killers do exist, they make up less than 1% of the population and are rare.
Enjoyed in moderation, true crime series can be an interesting and fun escape for many people from the more mundane aspects of everyday life. So, with Halloween approaching cue up the latest true crime series and just remember to thank your amygdala for the thrill ride you’re about to be taken on!
