As social media grows more popular, so does watching and creating true crime content. True crime is simply telling the story of a crime, generally murder. However, creators tend to leave out necessary details that can shift the viewer’s perspective. True crime content creators also tend to not treat the topic of discussion as something serious, eating while telling the story or joking around. 

One of the many downsides of true crime is the negative effect it has on viewer’s mental health. True crime increases anxiety and paranoia, you start to suspect everyone you meet may try to harm you. This affects potential relationships and friendships you could create with new people, no longer offering them your trust. This leads to self-isolation and in extreme cases, depression. 

The ethicality of true crime is also a controversial topic in the true crime community. The most popular true crime cases usually have victims that are white females, this creates a narrative that victims must fit into a certain category. Victims who are male or people of color do not receive the same attention as white females, and when they do get that attention, people will pick apart their every flaw, taking away from the seriousness of their tragic death. 

When consuming true crime content, it is important to know when to stop watching and take a break if it becomes too emotionally heavy. It is also important to find reputable creators who take their content seriously.