Public interest in crime and murder mysteries is nothing new.

Public interest in crime and murder mysteries is nothing new. A large generation that had access to and interest in English-language materials in the western as well as the non-western world, and before them their parents and grandparents, grew up reading “The Hardy Boys”, “Fantastic Five”, “Nancy Drew” and other mystery novels. That said, there have been significant shifts in consumption trends and the popularity of different means in recent years, and it can be contested that a large majority of consumers, particularly the millennials and the Generation Z crowds, like to consume their entertainment in the form of crime docuseries, and violence “porn” as entertainment is increasingly becoming popular. I believe that the interest to read crime novels and watch crime shows reflect the “voyeuristic” nature of human beings and stems from people’s desires to titillate and tantalize themselves. In addition, it can be argued that since an overwhelming percentage of the world’s population today lives ordinary lives, the need for escapism and to get away from the humdrum of everyday life and its problems attracts the average individual toward stories that are larger-than-life. The interest in unsolved real-life mysteries has also been evident on online platforms and discussion communities such as “Reddit”, where people have infamously come together to crack cold cases and, in some cases, mistaken regular, innocent people for violent serial killers or harassed convicts already incarcerated. The rise in the number of streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and intense competition between television and digital platforms has further worsened the rat-race between networks which now fight to churn out the goriest and most violent content. The consumer is not completely blameless though, as the star ratings of such series routinely leave shows belonging to other genres, such as romance and comedy, far behind. A few recent and notable examples of crime shows that reached the no. 1 spot on the first day of their release are “The Nightstalker” and “The Ted Bundy Tapes” on Netflix. Many people realize that the consumption of crime and violent content, whether fiction or nonfiction, is morally dubious. In my opinion, the category of crime fiction has taken a nose-dive in terms of popularity in recent years with the introduction of more non-fiction dramas gracing our television screens. I agree with the criticism that television channels and online streaming networks have received in recent years about glamorizing crime and murderers and not shining enough light on their victims. However, I also feel that people should be able to watch and read whatever they like, provided that the consumption of such material is legal. It is also ethically a grey area to force one’s own notions surrounding morality on others, so although the recent popularity of crime television shows and books is concerning, especially when it comes to underage individuals viewing such content, it is up to psychologists to observe its effects on people, and therefore, I do not hold a negative opinion of people who consume such content.