Russian scientists have discovered why people are fascinated by shows about serial killers.

Content consumers focused on serial killers engage with it to experience intense emotions often absent from their daily lives and to understand the motivations behind criminal behavior. Moreover, sociologists from the Higher School of Economics (NIU VSHE) have concluded that this type of content does not contribute to an increase in aggression levels.

2024-12-19 10:00:30https://naked-science.ru/article/column/lyudi-smotryat-peredachi

The results of the study have been published in Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal. Research on the modern media market indicates that content about serial killers is popular worldwide: films, true crime series, short clips, and written materials that narrate crimes, the course of investigations, and the biographies of those involved.

English sociologist Abby Bentham and Canadian sociologist Kevin Haggerty note that stories about serial killers are perceived by people as a form of entertainment that allows them to experience intense emotions. Canadian sociologist and philosopher Ryan Broll asserts that this is also a way to escape from personal problems in real life.

However, there is often an opposing viewpoint, with concerns that an obsession with serial killer stories could lead to an increase in violence. Researchers from HSE, Oksana Mikhailova, Daria Osokina, Lev Lyubich, and Ekaterina Gulina, investigated whether this is indeed the case. To explore the motivations driving Russian youth to watch crime content, they conducted a series of in-depth interviews. In total, 26 young men and women aged 18 to 36 from 14 Russian cities were interviewed.

The main questions focused on what media content about serial killers they enjoy, how they find it, and what factors they consider when choosing a film, video, or podcast. Among the respondents were fans of fictional TV shows, series, documentaries, true crime podcasts, books, popular science articles, videos, and posts on social media.

The researchers concentrated on the motivations for consuming media content rather than its impact on the audience. The respondents' answers indicate that interest in violent content is not linked to a desire to watch violence and does not trigger a wish to enact it in real life.

The study identified two types of motivations that drive the viewing of materials about serial killers—cognitive and emotional. Cognitive motivations involve the desire to understand the motives of criminals, connecting their actions to childhood traumas, psychological issues, and other factors. This helps viewers gain a better understanding of the reasons behind human behavior. On the other hand, content about serial killers serves as a means to experience strong emotions, often compensating for a lack of excitement in everyday life.

“The fascination with stories about maniacs across any genre, whether series or podcasts, is not a sublimation of cruelty. The respondents did not justify the actions of serial killers. On the contrary, the informants stated that such crimes should be prevented,” notes Oksana Mikhailova, a researcher at the Center for Modern Childhood Studies at HSE Institute of Education.

The researchers emphasize that interest in such narratives is generally driven by curiosity and a search for new experiences. These findings could assist psychologists in developing support programs for young people experiencing emotional hunger or stress.