Medicine's Susan Hatters-Friedman on why why we’re all so obsessed with true crime

Why We’re All So Obsessed With True Crime—and What Psychologists Say It’s Doing to Our Mental Health

Real Simple: Susan Hatters-Friedman, the Phillip J. Resnick Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, said true crime endures because humans use stories to understand danger, identify behavioral red flags and protect themselves. She noted women often consume it as a way to assess personal safety, but cautioned against excessive or sensationalized true-crime content that exploits victims.