New true crime documentaries and podcasts are becoming a nationwide craze, captivating audiences with real-life mysteries, the rising fascination with crime reveals society’s detachment from violence.
“It sounds bad, but I don’t think of these people as real people,” sophomore Mikaela Kavades said. “It’s scary, so I view it as a fast-paced book. Most of society separates themselves from things that are real.”
Along with the public’s unhealthy indifference to those affected by these crimes, comes the media controlling the narrative.
“Film and media in general over-exaggerate or underplay things to get the eye of the people,” sophomore Olivia Prinster said. “They overplay the dramatics of a chasing scene, or a murder scene, to get views.”
This combination of both public interpretation and unreliable portrayals leads to distorted perceptions of crime, making it seem as an isolated incident rather than a threat to the community.
“People view crimes more as a spectacle than an actual danger,” Prinster said. “People don’t think this happened in the community. It’s across the United States and it doesn’t really make people think that’s right here in our community. And that it could happen to anybody.”