3 Reasons We Love True Crime and Unsolved Mysteries

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Interest in true crime stories has grown significantly in recent years, driven by the widespread availability of content across streaming platforms, podcasts, and social media. Our fascination with true crime and dark or troubling stories can be attributed to a combination of emotional, evolutionary, and moral factors.

1. The Emotional Component

Humans are naturally drawn to stories that evoke strong emotions such as fear, suspense, and curiosity, which can stimulate the brain's reward system and provide a sense of excitement or even catharsis. Research on "morbid curiosity" shows that people often put a great deal of effort into avoiding threatening or dangerous situations, since these pose risks to health and safety. Total avoidance, however, can lead to ignorance about how to identify and appropriately respond to dangerous situations if they do occur.

The uncertain and complex times we live in—marked by political, economic, and social upheavals—may also contribute to this trend, as true crime offers a way to process real-world anxieties in a structured narrative format. Moreover, the digital age has made it easier for people to participate in crime-solving communities, fostering a sense of involvement and collective problem-solving.

2. Evolutionary Adaptations

According to the evolutionary perspective, there may be an adaptive component: Learning about dangerous situations and criminal behavior can help individuals better understand threats and avoid potential dangers. Our fascination with true crime may stem from an ancient survival mechanism in which heightened attention to potential threats enhanced our ancestors' chances of survival. Fear and curiosity, core components of human emotion, evolved to help individuals navigate complex social environments by recognizing patterns of deception, aggression, and social deviance.

Experts on the biology of emotions argue that fear is essential to the survival of animals, with the emergence of basic fear learning and responding dating back at least 700 million years. These emotional responses are deeply ingrained in our psychology, making us naturally drawn to stories that involve danger and moral dilemmas. The extent of one's interest in such topics can be influenced by personality traits (e.g., high openness to experience, sensation-seeking tendencies), personal experiences, and even cultural influences such as media exposure.

3. Moral Factors

True-crime narratives often provide a moral framework, allowing people to explore questions of justice, morality, and human nature. On a collective level, unsolved mysteries can create a sense of communal intrigue, bonding people together over shared efforts to uncover the truth.

Unsolved mysteries can have a profound impact on people, often leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and a lingering sense of unease. The human brain is wired to seek closure and understanding, so when faced with unresolved cases, individuals may experience cognitive dissonance or intrusive thoughts as they attempt to make sense of the unknown. This lack of closure can fuel ongoing curiosity and even obsession, leading people to revisit details, construct theories, and engage in speculative discussions.

Conclusion

This rise in true crime consumption over the past two decades can be linked to broader cultural shifts, such as an increased fascination with psychology and criminology, as well as the comfort of engaging with fear in a controlled environment. In uncertain times, true crime provides a way to process real-world anxieties in a structured narrative, offering both excitement and a sense of control.

© Kevin Bennett, PhD, 2025