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A Killer Obsession: Why Murders Grab Our Attention in the Media

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.

There is a reason why streaming platforms like Netflix create shows such as “Dahmer,” “Conversations with a Killer,” and “Monsters.” There is also a reason as to why these shows and documentaries shoot to the top of their platforms and blow up in the media. The simple reason is that people will watch them. 

These shows are pretty much a guaranteed hit when they are released to the public. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the world of true crime, especially ones notorious enough to write scripts on. The question is: why do we have this large intrigue to killers?

According to Coltan Scrivner from Psychology Today, to be able to wrap our heads around why we have this fascination with crime, we need to think about the prey-to-predator evolution. It’s well known that the one goal of prey is to stay alive by avoiding the predator, however, most prey actually choose to live near their predator.

This could be for a number of reasons, mainly because it allows prey to figure out hunting patterns by predators. It’s like how fish live near sharks. Even though the shark is not always hunting, it gives the fish an opportunity to observe when best to stay away and when it is safe. The similarities between talking about animal prey and human prey are uncanny. Even though we don’t observe a shark’s personality on a daily basis, having the ability to effectively recognize a dangerous person, and how to possibly avoid them, is vital. 

“Our fascination with serial killers is part of a broader tendency that humans have to be intrigued by dangerous situations,” Scrivner said. 

Another large part of our intrigue of killers is the humans drive for knowledge. Biologically, we are wired to figure out how to survive and create tools for that survival. This is like cavemen making fire or building log cabins for shelter. Since we want this knowledge, it is easy to get sucked into the mind of an individual who thinks in such a graphic way because we are technically “learning” something new. 

Learning about killer tendencies from the safety of your home is another large aspect to the appeal of watching these. We can analyze the tendencies of these people and not have to look over our shoulder at the same time. Watching in the comfort of your own space is very impactful, especially if you have an anxious mind. 

An anxious mind can lead to an active imagination. This is usually a very good thing. When thinking about killers, however, it is very easy for your mind to almost turn against you. Watching a show about a killer, for example, is a good way to set the record straight for yourself. In all honesty, it can sometimes make you feel better knowing what could happen, rather than trying to come up with a picture on your own. 

Having an anxious and overactive imagination is especially true for myself. For me, these shows creep me out a little bit. In a way though, it makes me feel better knowing about these kinds of people in the world rather than constantly wondering if my worst fears are true in some cases. 

“If you know something about the motivations and behaviors of serial killers, you’re in a better position to identify and avoid them,” Scrivner said. “We are voracious consumers of thrillers, horror, and true crime precisely because these genres provide a safe way to learn about threats. We face no danger of being preyed upon by the serial killer in a true-crime podcast, but we do stand to learn something about him.”

Some can argue that a large part of the fame for these shows comes from the notoriety of the crimes themselves. I do think there is some truth to this statement. If the crime wasn’t so gruesome or so terrible, it wouldn’t be able to catch the attention of the media as well as it did; enough to get a producer and cast list for sure. 

In short, knowing why we are so drawn to the lives of dangerous people makes it easier to put in perspective why these shows become so highly recognized. Even though we should be careful not to glorify these people, these shows can be useful to consumers on how and when to watch their backs.

Bryce Mallory is a freshman writer at the University of Kansas Her Campus chapter. She is majoring in Multimedia Journalism at the KU School of Journalism. Some of her favorite topics to write about include books, mental health, and all things pop culture. When she is not writing for the chapter, you could find her stuck in-between the pages of books, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. She is so excited to get started with this amazing organization!