Why Society Is Obsessed With Serial Killers

A Psychological Analysis

From Netflix documentaries dominating streaming charts to true crime podcasts topping the most-listened rankings, society’s fascination with serial killers shows no signs of waning. The question isn’t whether we’re obsessed – the numbers prove we are – but why. What psychological mechanisms drive millions of people to spend hours consuming content about humanity’s most disturbing criminals? This comprehensive analysis explores the evolutionary, psychological, social, and cultural factors behind our collective captivation with killers.

The Numbers: Quantifying the Obsession

True Crime Dominates Media Consumption

The data reveals an unmistakable trend: true crime, particularly content focused on serial killers, has become one of the most popular genres across all media platforms.

Podcast Popularity:

True crime is the most popular American podcasting genre
66-75% of true crime podcast listeners are women
Women are almost twice as likely as men to regularly listen to true crime podcasts (44% vs. 23%)
My Favorite Murder has approximately 19 million monthly listeners – 80% of them women
Reddit’s r/serialkillers page has more than half a million members

Streaming Dominance:

15 of the top 20 documentary titles on Netflix (ranked by reach) were true crime docs in 2024, compared to just six titles in 2020
True crime documentaries have held the #1 position on Netflix for 58 days (more than 12% of available days in tracking data)
The Perfect Neighbor (a true crime doc) amassed 16.7 million views in three days on Netflix
More than 19 million people watched Making a Murderer in the first 35 days after its December 2015 debut
Average subscriber viewing time for documentary content rose to 4 hours and 34 minutes per month in 2024, with true crime driving much of that growth

Weekly Consumption:

True crime fans spend an average of 3.8 hours per week consuming true crime content
62% view Netflix as their primary platform for true crime
Women are 2.5 times more likely than men to consume true crime to prepare for unsafe situations

Demographic Patterns:

Women with a high school diploma or less: 57% regularly listen to true crime podcasts
Men with the same education level: 34%
Women with a college degree: 36%
78% of forensics students are women – more than double their rate in other science fields

These statistics reveal that society’s serial killer obsession isn’t a niche interest – it’s a mainstream cultural phenomenon driven predominantly by women.

Evolutionary Psychology: The Ancient Roots of Morbid Curiosity

Predator Inspection and Survival Learning

From an evolutionary perspective, our fascination with serial killers mirrors a behavior observed throughout the animal kingdom: predator inspection.

When gazelles encounter cheetahs on the savanna, they don’t always flee. Instead, adolescent and young adult gazelles – those fast enough to escape and without much previous exposure to predators – often approach to inspect them. This seemingly counterintuitive behavior serves crucial survival functions:

Information gathering: Learning to identify threats and their behavioral patterns
Threat assessment: Determining whether the predator is actively hunting or satiated
Practice and preparation: Building experience with dangerous encounters in relatively controlled circumstances
Reducing uncertainty: Understanding predators reduces constant anxiety about unknown threats

The evolutionary logic is clear: animals living near predators benefit from morbid curiosity. If gazelles ran every time they saw a cheetah, they’d exhaust precious calories and lose opportunities for other survival activities. Relative safety and inexperience are the most powerful moderators of predator inspection – just as they are for human morbid curiosity.

The Human Application

Many researchers argue this fascination stems from an evolutionary subconscious desire to identify potential threats. Serial killers represent the ultimate human predator – individuals who hunt other humans. By studying them, we’re engaging in a modern form of predator inspection.

Research shows morbid curiosity compels individuals to seek knowledge about aspects of existence perceived as dangerous. When a hazardous situation is imminent, curiosity intensifies as individuals strive to gather information about it. By understanding threats associated with death, one can avoid negative consequences. Excessive avoidance of dangerous factors could result in ignorance about crucial ecological aspects and be maladaptive.

The Fear System’s Evolutionary Design

Over evolutionary time, humans faced potentially lethal danger from predation, intraspecific violence, and environmental hazards. Selection pressures from these dangers resulted in domain-specificity in the reactivity of the fear system – meaning the system evolved special sensitivity toward such threats.

The fear of aggressors (organisms resembling humans but harboring hostile intentions) is rooted in our social evolution. Early humans lived in complex groups where discerning friend from foe was crucial for survival. This fear system focuses on behavioral cues – facial expressions, attack behaviors, tone of voice – to detect potential threats from within the community.

The evolutionary rationale stems from avoiding potentially lethal conflicts. Recognizing a disguised threat in a seemingly benign interaction could mean the difference between life and death. Serial killers represent the ultimate version of this threat: humans who appear normal but harbor deadly intentions.

Psychological Motivations: Understanding the Darkness

1. The Quest for Understanding and Control

One of the primary reasons people engage with serial killer content is the human need for understanding. Crime, particularly violent or senseless crime, disrupts our sense of order in the world. When we hear about someone committing an unthinkable act, we naturally want to know why.

“For me, the fascination is not so much about what these broken people do as it is about why they do it,” one researcher explained. “Deconstructing that mystery, getting to the very dark heart of their deeds, is what keeps [many] hopelessly captivated by true crime stories.”

We’re taught that we’re not supposed to kill other people. So what would cause a person to target, stalk, track, and kill somebody? We are a society that’s very inquisitive. If we don’t envision ourselves doing these things, we wonder why other people would.

2. Safety, Security, and Preventive Education

Research reveals that the biggest reason people consume serial killer content is safety and security – it serves as a form of preventive education.

“The biggest answer I got was safety and security – that [true crime media, including content about serial killers] is a form of preventive education that women were using,” explains researcher Amanda Mooney. “It’s like, how do I learn what the red flags are?”

True crime appeals to our natural instinct to survive. It eases our fears about the same thing happening to us. Understanding what victims did or didn’t do in these situations helps us feel more in control. We believe watching these shows will help us know how to act if we are ever in these situations ourselves.

Women are 2.5 times more likely than men to consume true crime to prepare for unsafe situations. Among fans who have been victims of a crime, 1 in 3 said consuming true crime helped them react better to the incident.

3. The Intellectual Puzzle and Problem-Solving

True crime often involves solving mysteries, which is intellectually stimulating. The challenge of piecing together clues appeals to our problem-solving instincts. This engagement can be rewarding and mentally stimulating, providing a sense of accomplishment.

When many of us put on our “armchair detective” hats, we’re prepared to pore over every detail of a case in hopes of cracking it wide open. This is partly due to the fact that our brains love puzzles and having problems to solve. But another aspect is seeing to it that the “bad guy” gets held accountable for their horrific actions.

The genre’s narrative structure often mirrors classic detective stories, inviting the audience to play the role of investigator.

4. The Desire for Justice

We want to preserve our belief in justice. For many, true crime offers a form of justice that may not always be achieved in real life. Seeing perpetrators brought to justice in narratives provides a sense of closure and vindication for victims and their families.

The resolution of a true crime narrative, where justice is often served, provides a moral balance that can be deeply satisfying, reaffirming our belief in the system and the idea that good ultimately prevails over evil.

True crime’s appeal stems from a sense of justice and feeling that the justice system broke down in some cases. “The murderer winds up not paying consequences,” explained one researcher. “Maybe it’s ineptitude by the investigators or prosecutors, or even malfeasance where people get bribed. This person committed a murder and should pay”.

5. Safe Fear and Controlled Danger

Professor Scott Bonn told Psychology Today: “The public is drawn to these stories because they trigger the most basic and powerful emotion in all of us: fear”.

There’s a thrill in watching a dangerous situation unfold, as long as we know we’re not directly at risk. True crime allows us to experience fear in a controlled environment. By facing intense emotions through a screen or speaker, we release some of our own pent-up tension.

“It’s escapism and entertainment,” one expert explained. “It speaks to why people go into haunted houses or ride a roller coaster. There’s something about facing danger when it’s not real, it’s not personal. People like to be scared or like to see the dark recesses of someone’s mind”.

Engaging with true crime can provide emotional release, allowing individuals to process pent-up emotions and find relief through these narratives. The dark and often violent themes allow us to confront and release our fears and anxieties in a controlled way – a process that can be cathartic.

6. Empathy and Connection to Victims

True crime resonates deeply because of the connection we feel to victims. Many stories highlight the lives of those affected by crime, giving a voice to people who can no longer speak for themselves. As we learn about victims’ stories, their hopes, dreams, and struggles, we develop empathy for them and their families.

Among female students, bonding over true crime builds a sense of community and solidarity. “The way that my class relates to true crime and to each other, there’s a solidarity there,” says one professor. “There’s something about listening and watching that puts you in solidarity with other women who, through no fault of their own, wound up victimized by someone”.

Morbid Curiosity: The Personality Trait

Defining Morbid Curiosity

Morbid curiosity is a mixture of excitement, fear, and compulsion that stimulates a need to know about horrid subjects, such as death and terror. Although normal, it can motivate and predict behaviors and preferences.

Research developed the 24-item Morbid Curiosity Scale (MCS) to measure this trait. Findings revealed that those exhibiting high levels of morbid curiosity tend to be nonconformist, socially inquisitive, and less disgusted by animal-related reminders.

What Correlates with Morbid Curiosity:

Low personal and general death avoidance
Higher trait anxiety
Higher beliefs in the paranormal (psychic abilities, witchcraft, spiritualism, aliens, precognitions)

Importantly, morbid curiosity remained stable over 4-6 weeks, indicating it’s a consistent personal characteristic rather than a passing interest. Those scoring high on the MCS showed a preference for films that highlight themes of threat.

The Adaptive Function

Morbid curiosity could help individuals cope with threatening information, potentially giving an evolutionary advantage. However, little is known about the purpose or origin of morbid curiosity.

The first notable psychological study introduced a “Morbid Curiosity” scale, which includes items related to enjoyment of observing violence and death. Researchers posited that the underlying motivation stems from an individual’s desire for novel experiences and arousal, finding that it correlated positively with sensation-seeking tendencies.

The Gender Divide: Why Women Dominate True Crime Audiences

The Statistics Are Clear

The gender disparity in true crime consumption is one of the most striking findings:

75-80% of true crime podcast listeners and viewers are women
Crime Junkie reports a 75% female audience
Wine and Crime reports an 85% female audience
At CrimeCon (annual true crime event), approximately 75% of attendees are women

Why Are Women So Drawn to Serial Killer Content?

1. Relevance to Evolutionary Fitness

Understanding criminal behavior is relevant to one’s evolutionary fitness. Women have historically faced higher risks of sexual violence and predation. Learning about serial killers – who often target women – serves an adaptive function of threat assessment and avoidance learning.

2. Relatability to Victims

“I definitely think that part of the reason women are drawn to true crime is that there is a level of relatability for women to the victims in these stories and we often project ourselves onto the media we consume,” one researcher explained.

Women see themselves in the victims, making the educational component particularly salient. A study gave men and women the choice between two books about a crime – one detailing how the female victim escaped and one that did not. Women were more likely to choose the book with escape details than men.

3. Educational and Psychological Value

Women are more likely than men to choose true crime media because of the educational aspect, psychological aspect, and because victims are often female.

Data from criminology students found that women consume serial killer documentaries due to a need to understand serial killers’ behavior and cognitions, to educate and increase the chances of evasion.

4. Community and Connection

For many female listeners, podcasts are a huge source of community and connection. Hosts feel like close personal friends, and there’s an emotional connection to victims. Two-thirds of female listeners say their friends and family listen to true crime podcasts, giving them something to connect about in real life.

Social media communities born out of favorite podcasts are very important and a huge source of connection for female listeners.

The Dark Side: Romanticization and Celebrity Criminals

The Troubling Phenomenon of Serial Killer Groupies

While most true crime consumption is educational or cathartic, a darker element exists: hybristophilia – the sexual or romantic fascination with individuals who commit violent crimes.

Notable Cases:

Ted Bundy: During his trial, women filled courtroom benches, some professing love or admiration. Bundy received love letters and marriage proposals while on death row.

Richard Ramirez: “The Night Stalker” received fan mail and married Doreen Lioy while in prison. Lioy said she saw goodness and innocence in Ramirez’s eyes.

Carole Ann Boone: Married Ted Bundy and had a child with him while he was on death row.

Hybristophilia: The Psychology:

Passive hybristophilia: Individuals attracted to criminals but don’t wish to participate in crime. These “serial killer groupies” write letters, visit, or flirt with inmates but confine involvement to admiration at a distance.

Active (aggressive) hybristophilia: Individuals who help or participate in the criminal’s activities.

Psychological Mechanisms:

The rescuer narrative: Belief they see the “real” person behind the criminal and can redeem them
Feeling special: “I alone truly understand this person”
Power dynamics: Attraction to dangerous individuals while maintaining control (the killer is safely behind bars)
Rewriting past trauma: For those with abuse histories, controlling the relationship with a dangerous man represents a form of mastery

Research indicates most hybristophiles previously experienced abusive relationships. Psychologists believe these women enter these relationships as a way to “re-do” or “re-write” their pasts – this time, the man is behind bars and cannot harm the woman, while the woman has all the power.

The Media’s Role in Romanticization

Media portrayals significantly contribute to serial killer romanticization:

Casting attractive actors: When Netflix cast Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, articles emerged titled “It’s Actually Okay if You’re Attracted to Zac Efron as a Serial Killer”. By casting actors audiences love and crush on, productions make serial killers more sympathetic and attractive.

Humanizing narratives: Documentaries and dramas often emphasize the killer’s charisma, intelligence, and troubled backstory, transforming them into complex antiheroes. In such portrayals, victims become secondary – often nameless and faceless – while the killer’s psychology takes center stage.

Celebrity status: “Our media environment is especially well-suited to creating celebrity and sustaining that celebrity,” explains one professor. “[We have] this idea of the celebrity criminal, and serial killers kind of turn into celebrities”. Over 75% of true crime enthusiasts consider serial killers to be “celebrities”.

Social media amplification: Edits, fan pages, and romanticized artwork of serial killers circulate widely online, turning real-life murderers into cult figures. The internet provides fertile ground for unhealthy parasocial relationships – one-sided emotional attachments to criminals who should instead evoke repulsion.

The Consequences

By aestheticizing evil, society desensitizes itself to real suffering. Instead of viewing killers as cautionary examples of depravity, we begin to see them as tragic or misunderstood. This softening of perception erodes empathy for victims and contributes to a culture where emotional detachment is trendy.

When Netflix viewers gush about Bundy’s “handsomeness” or when social media edits of Jeffrey Dahmer go viral with romantic music, the moral compass falters. The audience forgets that these men destroyed lives.

Parasocial Relationships and True Crime Communities

The Nature of Parasocial Bonds

Parasocial relationships – one-sided emotional attachments audiences form with public figures – play a significant role in true crime obsession.

As with all celebrities, serial killers have become products of consumption for the general public as represented by their adoption by popular culture in all forms of media, allowing those interested to become fans, regardless of the notoriety of their acts.

Due to the commercialization of horrific crimes, fans engage in parasocial relationships to understand and rationalize deviant behaviors. Such behavior, combined with how society treats those deemed attractive, leads to a dangerous philosophy.

The Problem with Amateur Sleuths

Research on “co-victims” – family and friends of homicide victims – reveals they face harassment from amateur sleuths and online trolls obsessed with cases. “A lot of what we see here is like parasocial relationships, but it’s different – you’ve got people who want to help solve the case,” explained one researcher. These individuals believe they possess unique insights that could lead to resolution, which is often unfounded.

The unwavering certainty displayed by some about cold cases is deeply dehumanizing to victims and causes real harm to those not charged with any crime.

FOMO and Compulsive Consumption

Crime news stories create uncertainty, and if you’ve developed a relationship with a character in the story, you might feel like you need to know what happened to this person, even if you’re not related to them. Some of it comes from fear of missing out. If you’ve spent time trying to find and put clues together, and then you’re offline and the case gets solved, there’s a sense of missing the biggest part.

These parasocial relationships may be one-sided, but they still fulfill social needs and foster trust.

The Impact on Victims’ Families

The Cost of Celebrity Criminals

Rita Isbell, a family member of one of Jeffrey Dahmer‘s victims, stated: “I could even understand it if they gave some of the money to the victims’ children…If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn’t feel so harsh and careless”. Every time a new portrayal is released, victims’ loved ones are subjected to heightened scrutiny and online discourse that disregards their feelings, all while their images and trauma are exploited for money.

Co-Victims’ Concerns:

Harassment from amateur sleuths
Online trolls obsessed with cases
Reliving trauma with each new production
No financial benefit while productions profit from their pain
Correcting misinformation that spreads through social media

Positive Aspects:

Co-victims acknowledged that engaging with media could lead to breakthroughs in investigations, particularly in missing persons cases. Keeping dialogue alive can sometimes aid in shifting narratives or correcting misleading information. They identified raising public awareness and educating audiences about the justice system as positive outcomes.

Conclusion: Understanding Our Dark Fascination

Society’s obsession with serial killers represents a complex convergence of evolutionary drives, psychological needs, social dynamics, and cultural forces. This fascination is neither wholly unhealthy nor entirely problematic – it exists on a spectrum from adaptive learning to destructive romanticization.

The Adaptive Functions:

Predator inspection: Learning to identify and avoid threats
Safety education: Particularly for women, understanding warning signs and survival strategies
Community building: Connecting with others over shared interests and safety concerns
Intellectual stimulation: Solving puzzles and understanding human psychology
Justice seeking: Desire to see perpetrators held accountable
Controlled fear: Processing anxieties in a safe environment

The Problematic Elements:

Romanticization: Transforming monsters into celebrities
Victim erasure: Focusing on killers while ignoring those who suffered
Hybristophilia: Forming romantic attachments to violent criminals
Parasocial obsession: Unhealthy one-sided relationships with killers
Armchair detective harassment: Amateur sleuths causing harm to victims’ families
Desensitization: Normalizing violence through constant exposure

The Gender Dimension

The fact that 75-80% of true crime audiences are women reveals this isn’t random entertainment – it’s a form of threat assessment and survival education. Women consume this content because they are statistically more likely to be victims of the crimes depicted. Understanding predatory behavior serves an evolutionary function of increasing odds of detection, avoidance, and survival.

The Responsibility of Media

Streaming platforms, podcast producers, and documentary filmmakers bear responsibility for how they portray serial killers. When productions emphasize killer charisma over victim humanity, cast attractive actors to play monsters, and profit from trauma without compensating families, they contribute to a culture that glorifies evil.

The Bottom Line

Our fascination with serial killers is deeply human – rooted in ancient survival mechanisms, driven by psychological needs, and amplified by modern media. Understanding why we’re obsessed doesn’t excuse romanticization or victim erasure, but it does explain why true crime dominates our cultural landscape.

The key is balance: consuming true crime content mindfully, prioritizing victim stories, avoiding celebrity worship of killers, and recognizing when fascination crosses into unhealthy obsession. As long as we maintain empathy for victims, resist romanticization of perpetrators, and use our knowledge to increase safety rather than simply satisfy morbid curiosity, our interest in serial killers can serve adaptive rather than destructive purposes.

The obsession isn’t going away – 75% of Netflix’s top documentaries are true crime, podcasts dominate charts, and new cases constantly revive interest. The question isn’t whether we’ll continue being fascinated by serial killers, but whether we can engage with that fascination in a healthier way.

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