As kids, you sit around the campfire taking turns exchanging ghost stories. These stories were overdone with monsters at every corner. Now, as we’ve grown older we trade those fictional stories for real ones, with the growing popularity of true crime podcasts 

Through popular podcasts such as “ Crime Junkie, ” or “My Favorite Murder,” you can hear the stories of real monsters. These retellings of real cases solved or unsolved have drawn in listeners across the nation as true crime podcasts are currently in the top 10 most listened to podcasts on Spotify according to Spotify’s podcast charts. This raises the question of what makes the media about violence so appealing? 

True crime podcasts are fascinating to me because it’s an insight into reality and offers an outlet to the world outside of South. True crime podcasts give access to the minds and lives of killers, and the ability to face evil from your coach. True crime podcasts expose people to different situations in the real world and give a rush of fear from the comfort of your home, according to criminologist Dr. Scott Bonn in an interview with InsideEdition.com. 

“We don’t have to actually be face-to-face with evil in order to understand it,” Bonn said. “We can sit back, enjoy a bowl of popcorn, and within one hour, have evil resolved.” 

When listening to true crime, I feel scared but, in a controlled manner. The detailed narration of the podcast allows the threat to feel thrilling without being real. This thrill is similar to watching horror movies or listening to ghost stories but without the dramatics. 

Another important aspect of true crime podcasts is immersive storytelling. The in-depth recounts of various crimes allow, listeners, to feel like a detective slowly solving the case in a classic “who done it” story. Gradually, true crime podcasts will tease out to an end, offering various theories or reasons to who did it. 

Often true crime podcasts go further to explore the motive behind the story. Podcasts like “Serial,” dive into the psychological motives behind controversial cases. This allows listeners to observe evil, and try to understand it. 

Another important aspect of true crime podcasts is their ability to spread awareness of sensitive topics. This allows listeners to feel more prepared for potential situations in their lives, through learning who the murderer could be, who the victims are, or where you could be at risk- people are able to prevent themselves from entering dangerous situations. 

However, critics of true crime tend to dislike the sensationalization of the experiences of real people. Some podcasts tend to glorify and glamorize murder. Such as the romanticization of serial killers like Ted Bundy, which can make some forget the people he killed. This takes away from the true purpose of true crime, which is to educate the public about the experiences of many victims of tragedy and bring awareness to these crimes. 

True crime’s popularity has grown over the 2010s and has only continued to grow in popularity, topping charts on both Spotify and Netflix. In the end, true crime podcasts are able to bring people together and educate teens on the real world. When boundaries are respected, true crime podcasts can be beneficial for teens to learn about the monsters in the world.