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Do you think it’s weird to listen to a lot of true crime?

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May 8, 9:05 AM
#1
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Jul 2010
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I’ve had quite a few comments in the past for listening to true crime.
"So much violence is going to mess with your the mind"
"That’s kinda sus to be that much into murders"
"Do you have the hots for criminals or something?"


Do I enjoy listening to true crime? Yes, I do. But I see it as a form of escapism like any other. I can’t deny that it’s still very macabre though. I like to try understand what the victims went through. What put them in danger. And if there could have been any way for them to survive instead. And it kinda feels that it might help to gain a better perspective on what can make a fellow human dangerous. And no, I wasn’t badly influenced from listening to it, unless you count that one time a friend was using Akinator on me and I could only think of murderers.

The question is, do you believe it is weird/suspicous/potentially harmful (or any other negative things like that) to listen to true crime on a regular basis?
May 8, 9:17 AM
#2

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Feb 2020
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No I don't think it's weird (and it's one of the things I listen to the most), I have heard the argument of people potentially learning from the mistakes of the killers to perfect their own crimes, which I don't buy (and is not the reason why I listen btw😂).
I think I mostly like trying to understand the killer's motives, as usually their pretty stupid reasons to kill, and quite how they ended up the way they are.
May 8, 10:22 AM
#3
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Jan 2025
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I don't think it's weird, unless you're trying to do bad things with that knowledge or take it in as nationalistic reassuring propaganda.

The active acknowledgement of crime and evil lets us know we live in a truly free society. Anything else would try to bury that or twist the facts for their own purposes.
May 8, 11:27 AM
#4

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Sep 2016
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True crime fans are probably hybristophiles for the most part, and you having the hots for Luigi Mangione seems to support my conjecture.
May 8, 11:33 AM
#5

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I think true crime's obsession with non-paranormal stuff makes it a bit boring sometimes :( so overall you are a more boring person than someone who listens to stories about hauntings but more interesting than someone who listens to stories about non-crime relate topics
May 8, 11:46 AM
#6

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Oct 2024
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The genre just feels kinda explotative. Most content in the genre feels like it's making a spectacle of a murderer and their killings. Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with true crime and its fans, though a lot of true crime fans seem to be the female equivalent of guys who brag about watching gore videos and not being scared by them (seriously, what's up with people who brag about not being emotionally affected by human suffering? that's not something to be proud of).
May 8, 12:00 PM
#7

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May 2013
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Reminds me that in highschool I went through a phase where I watched nothing on TV except for investigation discovery for like 2 years.

That was my true crime phase I guess. It was very depressing but I have alot of out of pocket murder cases to talk about XD



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May 8, 12:01 PM
#8

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Oct 2015
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Well, as long as you don't wanna fuck em, but I have a feeling that may be the reason for many's viewership...
May 8, 12:08 PM
#9

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They said that listening to this type of thing too much causes a lack of empathy, now if that is really true I don't know.

May 8, 12:10 PM
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Reply to erotardation
The genre just feels kinda explotative. Most content in the genre feels like it's making a spectacle of a murderer and their killings. Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with true crime and its fans, though a lot of true crime fans seem to be the female equivalent of guys who brag about watching gore videos and not being scared by them (seriously, what's up with people who brag about not being emotionally affected by human suffering? that's not something to be proud of).
@erotardation As someone from the 1990s and the 2000s, it was common to do that because people were outside more and more outgoing. This was despite real life horror stories about actual serial killers popping up every month, at least in the USA and even the UK. It also didn't help that the Cold War and military lifestyle influences were much more prevalent then, as stuff like Vietnam, the Gulf War, and the War on Terror saw many communities see their family and friends go off to war, moreso than today and post early half 2010s.

There's also a historic and ingrained human trait towards this as well. Humans have always experienced fighting, conflict, and war, be it recently, 100 years ago, 1000 years ago, or even when our ancestors were still cavemen. It is natural to have feelings of dread, danger, and revulsion to scenes of carnage- It's a natural warning we are around danger and lets us know we have to escape. On the other hand, those who have chosen to become warriors or have a warrior society or are close to warrior upbringings can usually take in these kinds of situations with brevity and value those who do not lose their cool in the face of the worst of battle.

It may seem a bit weird today, but historically it is a naturally ingrained part of the human experience and its existence. I'm not saying it's entirely a good thing, however.
May 8, 2:23 PM
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No not at all. I've always been a sucker for mystery shows. It's one of the reasons why I still go back and watch Unsolved Mysteries with Robert stack on YouTube regularly. A lot of new interesting stuff coming out as well.
May 8, 3:14 PM
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Reply to Little_Sheepling
No I don't think it's weird (and it's one of the things I listen to the most), I have heard the argument of people potentially learning from the mistakes of the killers to perfect their own crimes, which I don't buy (and is not the reason why I listen btw😂).
I think I mostly like trying to understand the killer's motives, as usually their pretty stupid reasons to kill, and quite how they ended up the way they are.
Little_Sheepling said:
I have heard the argument of people potentially learning from the mistakes of the killers to perfect their own crimes, which I don't buy
Well, sometimes it can be true... but the mistakes criminals make are often really dumb. There's not much to learn from most of them (and the most interesting cases are often the unsolved ones anyway).

May 8, 3:14 PM
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Reply to Zarutaku
True crime fans are probably hybristophiles for the most part, and you having the hots for Luigi Mangione seems to support my conjecture.
@Zarutaku You know, it’s really not my fault that Luigi’s attractive, and I’d still think so even if he hadn’t committed a crime. I mean, if he were just some average-looking guy, I wouldn’t suddenly be into him just because he killed someone. I’d still root for him, though.

But honestly, a lot of these criminals are just gross and creepy. And we often don’t even know who they are. Like, who in their right mind would have a crush on the Zodiac Killer or Jack the Ripper?
May 8, 3:15 PM
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Reply to Commit_Crime
I think true crime's obsession with non-paranormal stuff makes it a bit boring sometimes :( so overall you are a more boring person than someone who listens to stories about hauntings but more interesting than someone who listens to stories about non-crime relate topics
@Commit_Crime One of my fav true crime podcast is about occult crimes, does that make me a little less boring?
May 8, 3:16 PM
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Reply to Absurdo_N
They said that listening to this type of thing too much causes a lack of empathy, now if that is really true I don't know.
@Absurdo_N Who is "they" in your sentence? If studies have shown that violence in video games doesn’t affect empathy, why would simply hearing about crimes do so?
May 8, 3:28 PM

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Only when you find wadded-up tissues and a book of crime scene photos under your son's bed.
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If you have to shit, shit! If you have to fart, fart!
May 8, 3:30 PM

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Reply to fleurbleue
@Absurdo_N Who is "they" in your sentence? If studies have shown that violence in video games doesn’t affect empathy, why would simply hearing about crimes do so?
@fleurbleue

I've seen YouTubers who narrates true crime stop narrating this type of thing because they said that his empathy for other people and his sensitivity to serious topics had diminished.

I don't know why true crime would do this but video games wouldn't.

May 8, 4:18 PM
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I understand the appeal, and have watched some videos recommended to me by other people, but yes, it is a bit weird to be obsessed with it.
May 9, 12:25 AM

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Reply to fleurbleue
@Zarutaku You know, it’s really not my fault that Luigi’s attractive, and I’d still think so even if he hadn’t committed a crime. I mean, if he were just some average-looking guy, I wouldn’t suddenly be into him just because he killed someone. I’d still root for him, though.

But honestly, a lot of these criminals are just gross and creepy. And we often don’t even know who they are. Like, who in their right mind would have a crush on the Zodiac Killer or Jack the Ripper?
fleurbleue said:
You know, it’s really not my fault that Luigi’s attractive, and I’d still think so even if he hadn’t committed a crime. I mean, if he were just some average-looking guy, I wouldn’t suddenly be into him just because he killed someone. I’d still root for him, though.

But honestly, a lot of these criminals are just gross and creepy. And we often don’t even know who they are. Like, who in their right mind would have a crush on the Zodiac Killer or Jack the Ripper?

Not being attracted to ugly murderers is obvious because looks matter, so yes you would still find him attractive if he wasn't a criminal, but the main reason you took interest in him (instead of some random male model who is equally or even more attractive) is because he's an attractive murderer.
Please do not deny this, it's fine to have deviant preferences, I am not judging, and I would probably become interested in a hot murderess as well.

Anyway, I forgot that true crime fans who aren't hybristophile, probably have serious crime fantasies at least, but most are sane enough to not act them out.
ZarutakuMay 9, 3:41 AM
May 9, 3:06 AM

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Reply to fleurbleue
@Commit_Crime One of my fav true crime podcast is about occult crimes, does that make me a little less boring?
@fleurbleue 100% people who kill for strangw reasons>>>>people who kill for money
May 9, 7:06 AM
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Feb 2017
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Pretending to like true crime is like being that one obnoxious kid who'd always say they like cherry liqueur sweets more than any regular chocolates. He knows he doesn't enjoy them, his parents know he doesn't enjoy them, his classmates know he doesn't enjoy them... but none of it matters because he thinks that by eating this slop in front of everyone, he's one step closer to being an actual adult, and is willing to go to great lengths to make his existence as miserable as possible in order to prove it.

Other examples include the "I like my chilly sauce to be at least a million Scoville units" type of guy. He probably hates every single meal he has to eat, but the pain is worth it because it'll prove to his friends that he's the dumbest baddest of them all.

What else... the crossfit guy who doesn't believe in squat racks, so he'd be torturing himself for 5 minutes straight just to get the barbell on his shoulders and then do the exact same move that everyone does, but it doesn't matter, because in his mind, he's better than them.

So yeah, I totally think this content is harmful for you. Not for your mind, but for your reputation. Nobody thinks you are "into murders" or whatever - they are just politely trying to say that it looks cringe-worthy, pathetic, ridiculous and that you should be very ashamed of yourself. Watching My Little Pony is literally edgier and infinitely more badass because it at least proves people that you don't care about what others think and do something that you actually like.

Anyway, the point is... you are trying too hard! Stop it!
May 9, 7:34 AM
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Reply to Zarutaku
fleurbleue said:
You know, it’s really not my fault that Luigi’s attractive, and I’d still think so even if he hadn’t committed a crime. I mean, if he were just some average-looking guy, I wouldn’t suddenly be into him just because he killed someone. I’d still root for him, though.

But honestly, a lot of these criminals are just gross and creepy. And we often don’t even know who they are. Like, who in their right mind would have a crush on the Zodiac Killer or Jack the Ripper?

Not being attracted to ugly murderers is obvious because looks matter, so yes you would still find him attractive if he wasn't a criminal, but the main reason you took interest in him (instead of some random male model who is equally or even more attractive) is because he's an attractive murderer.
Please do not deny this, it's fine to have deviant preferences, I am not judging, and I would probably become interested in a hot murderess as well.

Anyway, I forgot that true crime fans who aren't hybristophile, probably have serious crime fantasies at least, but most are sane enough to not act them out.
@Zarutaku I took interest in his case even before he got caught so I didn't know who he was and what he looked like (look up my old CEO thread if you don't believe me). If anything at this point, I would’ve preferred if he were more average-looking, since a lot of bad-faith individuals are pointing to his appearance to devalue people’s interest in the case, claiming they don’t actually care about the broken healthcare system in America and are only mindlessly having the hot for a random criminal.
May 9, 7:51 AM
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Reply to 149597871
Pretending to like true crime is like being that one obnoxious kid who'd always say they like cherry liqueur sweets more than any regular chocolates. He knows he doesn't enjoy them, his parents know he doesn't enjoy them, his classmates know he doesn't enjoy them... but none of it matters because he thinks that by eating this slop in front of everyone, he's one step closer to being an actual adult, and is willing to go to great lengths to make his existence as miserable as possible in order to prove it.

Other examples include the "I like my chilly sauce to be at least a million Scoville units" type of guy. He probably hates every single meal he has to eat, but the pain is worth it because it'll prove to his friends that he's the dumbest baddest of them all.

What else... the crossfit guy who doesn't believe in squat racks, so he'd be torturing himself for 5 minutes straight just to get the barbell on his shoulders and then do the exact same move that everyone does, but it doesn't matter, because in his mind, he's better than them.

So yeah, I totally think this content is harmful for you. Not for your mind, but for your reputation. Nobody thinks you are "into murders" or whatever - they are just politely trying to say that it looks cringe-worthy, pathetic, ridiculous and that you should be very ashamed of yourself. Watching My Little Pony is literally edgier and infinitely more badass because it at least proves people that you don't care about what others think and do something that you actually like.

Anyway, the point is... you are trying too hard! Stop it!
149597871 said:
So yeah, I totally think this content is harmful for you. Not for your mind, but for your reputation. Nobody thinks you are "into murders" or whatever - they are just politely trying to say that it looks cringe-worthy, pathetic, ridiculous and that you should be very ashamed of yourself. Watching My Little Pony is literally edgier and infinitely more badass because it at least proves people that you don't care about what others think and do something that you actually like.

Anyway, the point is... you are trying too hard! Stop it!
If you want the real story, my interest in true crime started with falling down a rabbit hole. I always listened to podcasts, but they were mostly about paranormal stuff (ghosts, UFOs, cryptids). But then my favorite podcaster started another show focused on occult crimes. I wanted more content from him, so I gave it a try even though I wasn’t that interested at first. But then, one of the recurring guests on that podcast was a criminologist who also had his own true crime show. I think you get the gist. And no, I’m not going to stop. What else am I supposed to do while I’m sitting on the bus or the subway??
May 9, 8:24 AM
Cat Hater

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Feb 2017
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Reply to fleurbleue
149597871 said:
So yeah, I totally think this content is harmful for you. Not for your mind, but for your reputation. Nobody thinks you are "into murders" or whatever - they are just politely trying to say that it looks cringe-worthy, pathetic, ridiculous and that you should be very ashamed of yourself. Watching My Little Pony is literally edgier and infinitely more badass because it at least proves people that you don't care about what others think and do something that you actually like.

Anyway, the point is... you are trying too hard! Stop it!
If you want the real story, my interest in true crime started with falling down a rabbit hole. I always listened to podcasts, but they were mostly about paranormal stuff (ghosts, UFOs, cryptids). But then my favorite podcaster started another show focused on occult crimes. I wanted more content from him, so I gave it a try even though I wasn’t that interested at first. But then, one of the recurring guests on that podcast was a criminologist who also had his own true crime show. I think you get the gist. And no, I’m not going to stop. What else am I supposed to do while I’m sitting on the bus or the subway??
@fleurbleue

You'll be looking at the great outdoors from now on! Canada is the second largest country by landmass, you can't convince me all you can focus on while on the train or bus is some guy speaking about murders from some glowing tiny rectangle in your pocket.

Feel the nature in contrast to the inventions of modern life. Trees bending in the wind like they’re waving, grass clawing its way through cracks in concrete, little birds just existing with this effortless defiance right next to four lanes of traffic. There’s moss creeping up old stone walls like it knows something ancient. Ugly cats doing something foul again in the dista... *ahem* The point is, it’s all happening, unplanned and uncurated. Unlike some profit-driven podcast, this is the stuff that doesn’t ask for your attention... it just is.

Also, what I'm doing right now is purely for education purposes. If someone asks what you are doing while on the train, don't just explain this to people like some pretentious hippie since that sounds equally weird as telling them you like to listen to podcasts about serial killers. Tell them that you just like to chill like a normal person would, then refocus on the nature around you, vines twisting around rusted railings like they’ve got somewhe...
May 9, 8:29 AM

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Sep 2016
17546
Reply to fleurbleue
@Zarutaku I took interest in his case even before he got caught so I didn't know who he was and what he looked like (look up my old CEO thread if you don't believe me). If anything at this point, I would’ve preferred if he were more average-looking, since a lot of bad-faith individuals are pointing to his appearance to devalue people’s interest in the case, claiming they don’t actually care about the broken healthcare system in America and are only mindlessly having the hot for a random criminal.
@fleurbleue So you like him because he acted against a selfish elite man who prioritized his own profit over others lives. In this case you should also like the guy who tried to murder Trump, because his selfish policies during his 1st and now 2nd presidency also have been causing many deaths (indirectly).
However, he is ugly and failed the murder, so you don't care about him. Therefore I must conclude that you like Luigi because he's a handsome murderer.
May 9, 8:34 AM

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Jun 2014
1890
Reply to Commit_Crime
I think true crime's obsession with non-paranormal stuff makes it a bit boring sometimes :( so overall you are a more boring person than someone who listens to stories about hauntings but more interesting than someone who listens to stories about non-crime relate topics
@Commit_Crime

I've seen so many of those supposedly "true" haunting videos that I know what tricks to look for. However, knowing that it's all bullshit kinda does take the fun out of it.

Just once I would like for there to be an actual ghost or alien sighting.
May 9, 8:53 AM
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Reply to 149597871
@fleurbleue

You'll be looking at the great outdoors from now on! Canada is the second largest country by landmass, you can't convince me all you can focus on while on the train or bus is some guy speaking about murders from some glowing tiny rectangle in your pocket.

Feel the nature in contrast to the inventions of modern life. Trees bending in the wind like they’re waving, grass clawing its way through cracks in concrete, little birds just existing with this effortless defiance right next to four lanes of traffic. There’s moss creeping up old stone walls like it knows something ancient. Ugly cats doing something foul again in the dista... *ahem* The point is, it’s all happening, unplanned and uncurated. Unlike some profit-driven podcast, this is the stuff that doesn’t ask for your attention... it just is.

Also, what I'm doing right now is purely for education purposes. If someone asks what you are doing while on the train, don't just explain this to people like some pretentious hippie since that sounds equally weird as telling them you like to listen to podcasts about serial killers. Tell them that you just like to chill like a normal person would, then refocus on the nature around you, vines twisting around rusted railings like they’ve got somewhe...
149597871 said:
You'll be looking at the great outdoors from now on! Canada is the second largest country by landmass, you can't convince me all you can focus on while on the train or bus is some guy speaking about murders from some glowing tiny rectangle in your pocket.
There’s nothing to look at out of a underground subway window, and you can only take the same bus line a few times before getting accustomed to the view.
May 9, 8:54 AM
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Reply to Zarutaku
@fleurbleue So you like him because he acted against a selfish elite man who prioritized his own profit over others lives. In this case you should also like the guy who tried to murder Trump, because his selfish policies during his 1st and now 2nd presidency also have been causing many deaths (indirectly).
However, he is ugly and failed the murder, so you don't care about him. Therefore I must conclude that you like Luigi because he's a handsome murderer.
@Zarutaku Had Luigi Mangione failed in his attempt, I probably wouldn’t have taken such an interest in his case. If Thomas Matthew Crooks had successfully killed Trump, I definitely would have been more interested in his case.
May 9, 7:44 PM
Nostalgia Rules!

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Probably one of my favorite episodes. Many of these cases still remain unsolved.

May 9, 7:46 PM

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Feb 2014
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Not really.
Not sure if this counts as true crime, but I watch some EWU videos from time to time.
May 9, 11:22 PM

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Oct 2018
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I think it's a lot weirder to listen to a lot of fake crime.



....In all seriousness, maybe not "weird", but inhaling documentary after documentary just sounds like consumption as with any other form of media. Like, sure, true crime can be fascinating, but you can't tell me every single case is THAT interesting that you can be like, "Oh, I really love listening to true crime! I fall asleep to playlists and shit!" Dude, most true crime is basically just "This guy killed someone. Authorities figured it out. The man was sentenced to 2.5 days in prison. His family had this to say about that."

I personally only get into true crime if it's about a particularly horrific crime (like extreme torture) or if it's a notably unique case. Otherwise, yes, it's mostly just "this woman got stabbed. It's too bad because she was pretty nice. This guy got shot. This is how he got caught." In which case I find it extremely boring. If you're that interested in shoveling that stuff it's really not unlike some chick who watches reality TV on her couch 24 hours a day. I'd much rather spend my time broadening my horizons on something else.
May 10, 4:30 AM

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both my mom and my beloved aunt really loves television emission about murder and all these things but it's not particularly weird tbh
Sofia Vergara is the absolute prettiest living being since the first apparition of any living entity on this earth and space.

May 13, 5:55 AM

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Aug 2021
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Reply to fleurbleue
@Absurdo_N Who is "they" in your sentence? If studies have shown that violence in video games doesn’t affect empathy, why would simply hearing about crimes do so?
@fleurbleue

I talked to one of my sisters and she said that we can't compare video games with true crime because true crime is real and that makes people insensitive when they see other criminal cases. For example, "she was just kidnapped and abused, I saw a case where the girl was tortured, raped, mutilated and killed", I don't know if I explained it right because my sister explained it, sorry.

May 13, 6:06 AM

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May 2018
704
No and if it is then so am I. The amount of true crime me and my partner have listened to is a shit ton. Also like horror stories which are fiction but are grounded in reality go into the same sort of feeling for me and I've consumed a lot of those as well
May 13, 7:00 AM
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Reply to Absurdo_N
@fleurbleue

I talked to one of my sisters and she said that we can't compare video games with true crime because true crime is real and that makes people insensitive when they see other criminal cases. For example, "she was just kidnapped and abused, I saw a case where the girl was tortured, raped, mutilated and killed", I don't know if I explained it right because my sister explained it, sorry.
@Absurdo_N If someone listens to a criminal case similar to Junko Furuta’s and feels absolutely nothing, there was already something wrong with them. To this day, that case still horrifies me so I think I’m still doing okay, sensitivity-wise (then again, that didn’t stop me from violently killing you all in my roleplay thread…).

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