The patter of a thunderstorm taps the windows as you sit down at home for the first time after what has been a tiring day. And as appealing as eating a warm meal or listening to some music sounds, you snuggle under a blanket and turn on a true crime documentary. This has become a popular hobby not just for you but for many others because of the insight into the evil of the world it gives without making you experience any danger. But true crime is especially popular among teenagers.

Main points:

· They are at a point where excitement and the thrill of fear are appealing because it makes them feel mature.

· Teens are attracted to its realness; learning about true events and people’s dark sides makes them feel prepared for the real world.

· They want to feel like they can solve all problems they don’t understand with logic.

· They enjoy the feeling of success and completion from solving puzzles and mysteries.

Teenagers are specifically interested in learning about serial killers and why they committed the murder. “It’s very interesting to see the stories of people and why they did the things that they did,” sophomore Megan Mooty said. “These shows, podcasts, and books are portraying a sort of behind-the-scenes and telling us the true and shocking events of the world and the way that people in it can be.”

Understanding the motives of evil people provides teens with a feeling of awareness; that they can predict and understand human culture even though they may not realize people are unpredictable. People have committed inhumane crimes and gaining an understanding of these makes them feel ready for anything.

But not just any fear builds a teen’s sense of maturity. It’s specifically the paranoia that comes from learning about gory crimes. Sophomore Faith Yates said she doesn’t enjoy watching horror movies as much as she does true crime shows. “It’s all fictional,” she said. “True crime is a part of history and true events that’ve actually happened, and that’s what makes it so interesting.”

Doctors also believe teens like following along with the narrator or author as they dissect the crimes, giving them the satisfaction of “helping” solve them. Coltan Scrivner, a scientist of morbid curiosity said, “morbid curiosity is a common psychological trait” especially for developing brains like those of teens.