So many crimes surround us. From school shootings to abducted children to murders, we all likely have heard about crime at least from a secondhand source. Due to sources of information being readily available online it is all the more easy for us to hear about crime. For some people it may be fascinating: the gore, the brutality, the sheer audacity and the warped, dark, ignored side of humanity that is all too easy to see. Luckily, for those who are intrigued by such events (and it seems that there are many) there are a multitude of documentaries,podcasts and other kinds of media focusing on true crime out there. Whatever the form of media they usually detail real crimes,the crimes can range from fraud to serial murder. Often the retelling is in an almost cinematic style, leaving off on cliffhangers and sparing no gory detail. If you take out the true crime element, it is almost as if you are consuming a thriller or a horror movie. In these types of true crime retelling ,which can be referred to as sensationalism, the cheap horror of the deeds is focused on more than the gravity of the criminal actions and effect of them. We all know how almost each of these true crime stories go. They all follow a more or less repetitive plot. The stories do not change too much but perhaps what is changing is ourselves.
According to Michigan State University Criminal Justice Professor Dr. Karen Holt, People tend to focus upon serial killers because they are fascinated with why someone would do such dastardly actions and want to understand the killer. However, due to this focus on the serial killers the victims go almost unrecognised and they start to register as numbers instead of actual people. This effect is called psychic numbing which happens when our brains tune out and become emotionally detached when numerous people are affected by violence. This effect could potentially prevent us from considering the true gravity of criminal actions. Thinking about criminal actions from the side of the victim or the survivor is unpleasant but it is also a necessary aspect for us to consider if we want to consume true crime responsibly. Thinking from that side also helps us remember that real people suffered due to the actions of criminals. Those people likely had hopes, dreams and feelings before their lives were upended through the actions of one person.
Watching too much true crime can even impact your psyche according to the Cleveland Clinic. Effects may include being scared and anxious all of the time, feeling unsafe at home and being wary of others. All of these feelings can impact our ability to live life. Only seeing the bad parts of humanity without a view of the good side of humanity can cause us to feel hopeless and pessimistic. True crime documentaries do show the good side of humanity as well. Often in the form of law enforcement and whoever helped catch the criminal. At the same time we can see the damage of the criminal actions upon those related to the victim or victims. And the sad truth that is all too evident at the end is that there is no way to undo the actions. The murder victims are not coming back; there is no way to go back in time and catch the perpetrator earlier. All we are able to do about it is make sure no one else gets hurt,pick up the pieces of our previous life and move forward. Often the best option portrayed is to move forward. While there is some grandiose allure to obsessing over unsolved cases and trying to solve it, it can often lead to dark places or impact our mental health if we choose to do so.
The book series “A good girl’s guide to murder” by Holly Jackson portrays both the positive effects and negative effects of attempting to solve a cold case. In the book series the main character Pippa Fitz-Amobi manages to clear the name of Salil Singh in the Andie Bell murder case and find out who is truly responsible for Andie Bell’s murder. The positive effects include recognition and because Pippa is an altruistic person she is also pleased with having clear Salil Singh’s name for the sake of his still grieving family. But the negative effects include her dog being killed, PTSD from being drugged and eventually in the third book “As Good As Dead” not solely due to her solving the Andie Bell case but due to her later choices she suffers from more PTSD, hallucinations and drug addiction. While Pip does manage to provide closure for the families involved it comes at the cost of her own stability. One reason why Pippa succeeded in the books is because she cared about the case and that in a way made her obsessive over the case. That is a reason why she succeeded rather than law enforcement. In every case she attempts to solve, she is connected to it in some personal way. She knew Salil as a child. Jamie is Connor’s brother and Connor is one of Pippa’s best friends. Her third case in “As Good As Dead” literally concerns herself and her own safety. Being obsessive is in a way portrayed as a good thing in this book. However we also see her endangering herself and the people around her. Now a reason why she was quite violently threatened by people who fear her investigation is because she lived in the same place where these murders had taken place. It would not be as much of a problem if she lived out of town which accounts for most real amateur sleuths. However her incapability of letting things go such as blaming herself for the murder of Child Brunswick lead her to a Xanax addiction. This can apply to today’s amateur sleuths there. Not everyone who gets obsessed with a cold case will end up with PTSD or a drug addiction. On the other hand though, The obsession and its effects are very real.
There are certain things that are solely good in moderation. True crime media is one of them. We must be aware of the potential effects on us. It is also imperative to be responsible in consuming true crime media. While the criminals are often the focus of crime documentaries we also have to keep in mind the gravity of their actions. True crime is not mere detective fiction. Detective fiction is as in the name, fictional and does not have any skeletons in the real world unlike true crime. Therefore, it is important to understand what makes true crime unique and its potential effects on our psyche.
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