Consuming true crime media can increase stress and anxiety and create a false sense of danger.

True crime fans can sometimes disregard the real people and trauma behind cases

True crime content has become a social gathering place. In addition to content generated by creators, consumer-driven true crime spaces have blossomed on social media. In these spaces, consumers track developments and share theories as if criminal cases are sports. Citizen sleuths can sometimes inspire new leads but often add to survivors' suffering and sling speculation that can clog tip lines and hit innocent bystanders.

Stress activates the "fight-or-flight" response when we face threats, a reaction that can help keep us alive.

Determine if you're an ethical true crime fan

True crime entertainment researcher Lindsey Sherrill is obsessed with her field of study. She noticed that some true crime content dove into criminal and justice reform, illuminating forgotten cases, while others turned into exploitative entertainment. So, she developed four questions to reflect on the real-life implications of one's true crime consumption.

True crime refers to media that detail real-life criminal cases

Some have taken this to mean that the retelling must include "as many nitty-gritty facts about the case as possible." True crime media can focus on a single case, such as in the 1966 book "In Cold Blood," or can include serialized collections of criminal cases or behaviors, such as in the podcast "Casefile."

Stress can be contagious—and scientists want to learn more about it

Researchers have shown that being around someone who is stressed can trigger a stress response in your body, such as elevated cortisol levels and elevated heart rate. One way this was recently studied was by having people watch stressful activities, like a recorded job interview or solving challenging math problems, and then sampling hormones in observers' spit.

Stress and the brain

While an acute stress response is a normal bodily function, the effects of chronic stress can be extremely damaging to the human body. This is particularly true with regard to the brain. This article explores the effects of stress on the human brain, including how chronic stress may lead to psychological conditions such as depression and memory loss.

Some attorneys are using true crime fans to their advantage

True crime fans are notorious for falling down rabbit holes. Now that passionate interest is being exploited by attorneys marshaling influencers to serve as informal public relations representatives, a trend that's blurring the lines between fan theories and reality.

True crime, explained

Tales exploring some of the most grisly and unthinkable crimes have satisfied the public's morbid curiosity for more than a century, and modern podcasting has shot the genre to new heights. Want to learn more about the history of true crime? 1440 has the breakdown here.

True crime fans can derail lives with misguided accusations

In the wake of four stabbing deaths at the University of Idaho in November 2023, online sleuths, without any supporting evidence, were quick to point accusatory fingers at potential perpetrators. Poring over news reports, social media pages, and internet interactions can reveal viable information that can help solve crimes. Such (sometimes monetizable) behavior can also easily give rise to rumors and threats while impeding official investigations.(Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Fear (and stress) can be contagious via pheromones secreted by the body

While seeing someone else in a panicked state may induce a stress response, researchers have found stress can be literally contagious—chemicals contained in sweat and other secretions can trigger stress hormone release in others. Theories suggest this feature is an evolutionary adaptation to protect groups from danger.

How we frame stress—as good or bad—seems to alter how it affects us

This podcast discusses research that indicates stress perception may drastically affect how we respond to it. In research exploring if our stress is presented as diminishing our health versus if we're told it enhances our performance, it will lead to differences in how successful participants are at performing tasks—with the enhancers doing better.

How do anxiety and stress differ?

This article explains that though “stress” and “anxiety” are often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between the two. Stress is defined as the body's response to an external trigger and can be classified as acute or chronic. Anxiety, however, tends to be triggered internally by excessive thoughts and judgement. Whereas stress disappears when the trigger is gone, anxiety tends to stick around. If left unchecked, both can escalate into more severe mental health conditions.

Some theorize that horror's artifice turns fear into enjoyment

The “excitation transfer theory” suggests that the unpleasant feelings a jump scare might elicit (like shortness of breath) are quickly relieved when the audience member remembers what they’re witnessing is fake.

The positives of feeling stressed

Worrying about past events and upcoming challenges is not a pleasant experience, but a reasonable amount of stress can bring a lot of good into our lives. In this episode of "The Happiness Lab" with Dr. Laurie Santos, two psychology experts offer tips for resetting one's relationship with stress. Listen and learn how to make stress a positive tool rather than a debilitating emotion.

Touch deprivation can heighten anxiety and depression

Pacinian Corpuscles are pressure receptors just under the skin that send signals to the vagus nerve in the brain—that's the cranial nerve which regulates involuntary actions like breathing, heart rate, and the general "fight or flight" response. Activating those receptors can slow the heart, decrease blood pressure, and lead to the release of oxytocin and cortisol. The absence of touch, conversely, can promote negative feelings.

Prolonged stress impairs the prefrontal cortex

Burnout isn't just a feeling—it physically affects the brain. Prolonged stress impairs regions of the brain responsible for decision-making, emotional control, memory, and more. It can also lead to chemical imbalances, like reduced dopamine and norepinephrine levels, that worsen these effects.

Stress-induced adrenaline can trigger a 'hysterical strength' response

The stress response is a powerful ancient mechanism designed to maximize human survival—it can even result in superhuman strength. The adrenal glands are located just above the kidneys, and stress-induced adrenaline release causes more blood (and therefore more oxygen) to flow to your muscles, increasing performance.

Why are humans hooked on horror?

A haunted horror attraction in Denmark is regularly stalked by researchers of the world's only laboratory dedicated to understanding fear's good side. Fear is one of many human emotions that correspond to a physiological response. As fear rises, so do adrenaline, cortisol, and heart and breath rates. As it ebbs, the body is flooded with dopamine, a hormone and neurotransmitter associated with desire, learning, and motivation.

Too little stress can also harm our health because mild or moderate stress—followed by recovery—helps make us resilient.

Our ancient fight-or-flight response may contribute to modern ailments

Many common modern diseases humans struggle with may in fact have their origins in our ancient fight-or-flight stress response. Long-term effects of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline—in this case, triggered by things like workplace stressors—can wreak havoc on the delicate internal balance of our organ systems.

Fearology, or the study of fear, explores the difference between stress and fear

Our brains involuntarily respond to our environment and signal alarm when that isn't always needed, triggering responses that include goose bumps. But understanding fear and how to talk our brains into calming down can improve daily life.

Music that builds to a crescendo and then resolves relieves stress more than listening to nature sounds.

Researchers say that the horror genre offers opportunities to safely experiment with fear.

Families of true crime victims deal with added pain when their stories are publicized

True crime enthusiasts have never asked Annie Nichol to consent to public recountings of her sister's murder. For decades, Nichol has been inundated with gruesome dramatizations of one of life's greatest losses by people who profit from such productions. She has, however, been asked to share memories of her sister, though such memories "are all that I have left of her that haven't been exploited for public consumption."

The bloody history of the true crime genre

The true crime genre appears to have crawled out of an unlocked closet between 1550 and 1700. Rising literacy rates and printing technologies during this period led to leaflets and ballads-turned-broadsides that graphically regurgitated the findings. These products often included woodcuts of the crime's "unsavory acts.". Such content was snapped up by the "artisan class and above" as poorer classes lacked the funds to fuel the hobby.

The history of real-life crime magazines

Before podcasts and streaming services, details of true crime cases could be found smushed between glossy magazine pages. "True Detective Mysteries," a magazine of fictional crime retellings that debuted in 1924, quickly pivoted to sharing detailed reporting of real criminal cases after seeing what drove sales. Rebranding itself as "True Detective," the magazine launched dozens of imitators and only shut down publishing in January 2024.

How burnout alters your brain

Stress is a normal part of everyday life, and it’s not necessarily all bad. But chronic stress—the kind that leads to burnout—can change the size and functioning of parts of your brain. It can alter the ability to make new brain cells and memories and even potentially modify your DNA.

Anxiety is one of the world's most common mental health disorders, causing persistent excessive fear and worry that interferes with daily activities.

How the feared self fuels OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by intrusive thoughts that prompt people to enact compulsions—behaviors intended to relieve the anxiety or stress from the obsession. A significant intrusive thought OCD sufferers endure is the fear they will become a dangerous or immoral person. Therapeutic approaches try to show patients this is just a story that can be set aside.

Brain conditions and surgery can cause some individuals to feel no fear

Fear is a survival mechanism that originates in the brain's amygdala, triggering the body's fight-or-flight response. However, in modern society, without the same natural dangers, fear can lead to anxiety and mental health issues when unnecessarily triggered. Understanding individuals without fear may help identify new methods to treat anxiety disorders.

Chronic stress affects nearly all parts of the body

Stress is our body’s internal mechanism to deal with changes in our internal balance. As such, the stress response affects nearly every organ system through a cascade of both fast and slow hormonal changes. While short-term stress can be adaptive, long-term stress may cause serious health issues.

Grief rewires the human brain

The human brain handles stress and emotional traumas similarly. In response to the emotional stress of a situation like the death of a loved one, divorce, or abuse, the brain may strengthen or weaken connections between nerves to form new neural connections. Over time, chronic stress can diminish brainpower, reducing overall nerve growth and memory to shift resources to enable elevated fear responses and enable humans to survive.

Some types of stress (eustress) have positive benefits

While many perceive stress as solely negative, stress can in fact be divided into two categories: distress (negative stress) and eustress (positive stress). Moderate levels of stress are positive in that they can boost motivation and promote resilience, which have positive mental health benefits.

Stress and anxiety may lead to similar symptoms, but stress is a response to external triggers, while anxiety is persistent, and its symptoms won't disappear once an immediate stressor is gone.

Why so many people love roller coasters even though they’re scary

When a threat arises, it triggers our bodies to go into fight-or-flight mode and prepare for danger. However, when no obvious threat to our safety is present, this natural high can become enjoyable. Some people are more likely to enjoy these thrills based on factors like individual brain chemistry or physical health.

True crime content can influence the justice system

The 2014 podcast "Serial" inspired national doubt about the outcome and quality of a 1999 Baltimore murder case, resulting in overturned convictions (that were then reinstated). The series "In the Dark," whose second season pored over the murder trials of a Black Mississippi man, revealed crucial testimony was recanted, provided evidence of racial discrimination in jury selection, and was cited in case filings.

The 1979 murder trial of Ted Bundy was the first nationally televised trial, offering a preview of the national obsession with true crime.

Anxiety can arise at any stage of life and make someone feel unsafe in their mind and body.

Stress affects different animals in different, but useful, ways

Animals feel stress when they experience actual dangers—such as a zebra chased by a lion. Humans often feel stress from worries, memories, or even thoughts about problems that may occur in the future. For this reason, animals tend to experience stress in short, intense bursts. Conversely, people can feel stressed for long periods, which can eventually be harmful to their health.

Conspiracy theories today are often born from online radicalization

New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose examines how individuals become radicalized while using platforms like YouTube. Hate crimes that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic inspired the podcast, which looks at online commentators, algorithms, and isolation, and possible explanations for how increased online activity can sometimes lead to violent crime.

Nearly a quarter of the US's 451 top-ranked podcasts belong to the true crime genre

Perhaps, Pew Research Center proposes, this popularity stems from the fame of "Serial," the 2014 hit series about a 1999 murder in Baltimore. Politics and government is the second top genre. Outside typical genre divides lie series such as fictional radio stories and Dungeons & Dragons podcasts, which account for 12% of top-ranked podcasts.

Cold water swimming can induce positive stress

The tradition of cold water swimming (or taking a cold plunge, or even a cold shower) has been shown to release the same hormones triggered during a stress response. This can have the effect of increasing blood flow, improved mental acuity, and more.

Why does the body have a stress response?

When encountering a stressful situation, the human body typically goes into what is known as "fight-or-flight" mode. Because it evolved as a survival mechanism, the biochemical response enables people and other mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations. The carefully orchestrated yet near-instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses helps someone to fight the threat off or flee to safety.

There’s a psychological explanation for ‘FOMO,’ or the fear of missing out

This video breaks down FOMO—what it is, how it works, and why it happens—showing how social comparison and uncertainty trigger anxiety that pushes people toward risk-taking and constant checking behaviors.

The science of fear

The Hidden Brain podcast team explores the science of fear by traveling to a haunted house curated by a scientist to investigate what scares us, and why some people enjoy this sensation more than others.

The biology of stress in your body

Stress is a normal human response that has evolved over millions of years to handle changes or threats in our environment. This article is a helpful overview of the biological basics of this response. While it is not harmful to our physiology in the acute setting, chronic stress can lead to damaging changes in the human body over many years.

The oft-cited roots of the true crime genre

The 1966 book "In Cold Blood" by American author Truman Capote is often considered the beginning of true crime as it's known today. The story details the real-life murders of a family of four in Holcomb, Kansas, using techniques that, at the time, were relegated to fictional tales. Before it was a book, the narrative was published by The New Yorker in 1965 as a four-part series. 

Fantasy sports can have adverse health effects

Experts warn that fantasy sports, including fantasy football, can encourage obsessive use because they offer hits of dopamine. Daily fantasy games, which function more like gambling, are especially problematic.

The 10 top tips a psychotherapist offers her patients with anxiety include "you will not die from anxiety" and "anxiety is just trying to protect you."

Short-term cortisol spikes can boost the immune system

Elevated acute levels can enhance the immune system's ability to fight off infection or respond to injury. Chronic heightened cortisol levels, however, can lead to inflammation that harms cells and tissues over time.