Why do people like true crime? What is the appeal of this genre? If you look at it from the perspective of someone who doesn’t consume true crime content, these questions might be in your mind. In this article, we will answer your questions.

True crime is a popular genre among mystery lovers. Even though it has always been widespread, its popularity spiked up even more in 2022, according to Google trends.

When the true crime genre started gaining traction in the 16th century, books were the only way to access it. But now, they are much more accessible due to technological advancement. In addition, audiobooks, video documentaries, television shows, and blogs are making the genre more popular. 

Netflix alone has hooked millions to it. Numerous YouTube channels are dedicated to making crime documentaries, and many have found success. In addition, many podcasts related to true crime are also available on Spotify. Free access to those sources has attracted more people into the genre and helped to increase true crime popularity.

What is considered true crime?

So, what is considered true crime? It is a true crime story that actually happened and transformed into books, videos, audiobooks, and other media for people’s entertainment. The stories can not be fictional, as it wouldn’t be called true crime but fiction. It is the only requirement for this genre. The stories being true adds another layer to it, a new intensity level that fiction can’t achieve.

It focuses on the lives of the victims and the criminals. There are multiple ways to tell a true crime story. Sometimes it’s from the victim’s perspective, and sometimes the criminal’s perspective. Other times it’s written from a third person’s perspective.

True crime media digs up the buried crime stories, gives them a new life, and brings public attention to them once again. When the facts are represented correctly, it lets the readers know what the victims suffered and makes them feel sympathy.

Why do people get obsessed with true crime?

People get obsessed with true crime because our human brain finds these true stories fascinating. We feel more thrilled because those stories are true. Human brains are a dark place. We are intrigued by the morbid actions of other humans, our curiosity takes over, and we want to know more about it.

We wrote an article on the best true crime books with the craziest real-life stories you couldn’t think of, so check it out.

True crime stories hit our emotions straight. It feels more personal to us because the events are true, so we try to understand the emotions of the victims and the criminal. We want to know the motives of the killer and the fear the victim felt and to understand emotions more.

We are also fascinated and inspired by the heroic deeds of the investigators and how they used their critical thinking to get to the root of the crime and catch the criminal.

Some people also like it for the thrill – true crime stories are fascinating. Some true crimes could even be disturbing or horrifying, but it’s easier to follow them from far away. It’s a way of getting involved without risk and actually getting involved. 

Speaking of scary, on the other side, did you know you can lose weight by watching horror movies?

Is it weird that I love true crime?

If you have often asked yourself, ‘am I weird for liking true crime?’ don’t worry – you are not the only one. It isn’t very common, but it does happen that people think you are weird for liking true crime. Men are especially frowned upon for liking true crime, and their mentality and mental health is questioned.

These behaviors often come from the type of people that believe video games teach kids violence, so take it with a grain of salt. You are not weird for liking true crime if it’s not an obsession or for the wrong reasons. It’s just another form of entertainment with a sprinkle of facts and truth.

Some people question if it is even moral to produce such content, to take a tragic story of a victim and turn it into entertainment for people. But on the contrary, I would argue that it makes people aware of the incident and helps people learn about an unfortunate victim who would’ve been forgotten otherwise. It also helps us learn so we can fight it in the future.

Why is true crime a good genre

Why is true crime a good genre? As we already discussed, it’s factual and thrilling. In addition, the mystery aspect of it keeps people hooked. True crime can be consumed via different mediums, such as books, videos, and audiobooks, which means it is for everyone. You will have access to true crime through whatever method you prefer for your entertainment.

True crime also has a lot of varieties and subgenres, which makes it very diverse.

The serial killer subgenre is about killers that go on a killing spree, often without any reason behind the murders. They only do it for fun—they like the feeling of killing someone, are sadistic, and want to see their victims suffer. These tales are horrifying and not for everyone.

Homicide subgenres are about a person killing another. These are the most common true crime stories, but they still pack a punch. They can be exciting to read, especially when we don’t know who the culprit is from the start, and slowly, the mystery unfolds.

Robbery, heist, and thievery true crimes are among the most intriguing true crimes. Reading or watching about criminals plotting those crimes and executing them, and sometimes trying to escape the legal system, is thrilling.

Documentaries about terrorism educate people and make them aware of the acts of terror that affected many people’s lives or an entire country. 

Conclusion

The variety of true crime stories attracts a vast audience. A considerable population prefers this genre, which is why it is so popular. So in no way are you weird for liking it. On the contrary, it is one of the great genres in media that focuses on real-life incidents and educates people about them.

Hopefully, this answers the question of why people like true crime. If this article made you more interested in the genre, don’t forget to check out our article about the best true crime books we linked to above to help you get into it.