If you’ve ever caught yourself up at midnight scrolling through an accurate crime podcast list or eagerly waiting for a “cold case solved” reveal, you’re not alone.
For many in Gen Z, the obsession with crime podcasts reveals a deep fascination with the darker side of humanity. It’s more than just entertainment; it’s a psychological pull.
What the Data Says About Gen Z & Crime Podcasts
The numbers show that true crime podcasts‘ popularity in Gen Z is real and growing. Gen Z listeners are not just passive consumers; they are highly engaged with true crime content.
- True crime is among the top genres Gen Z listens to when they regularly consume podcast content. According to JoinPodWires, about 63% of Gen Z Americans (ages 13-24) have listened to a podcast in the past month. Among this group, older Gen Z (18-24) shows a stronger preference for true crime and comedy over other kinds of content.
- Additionally, Edison Research and Audiochuck report that 84% of the U.S. population aged 13+ consume true crime media (TV, YouTube, social media, or podcasts).
Statistical Insight: Nearly half of true crime consumers are drawn to the suspense, thrill, solving mysteries, and psychological or forensic insight.
Psychological Needs True Crime Storytelling Meets for Young People
Why does Gen Z seem to love true crime so much? What psychological needs are being fulfilled through this content?
1. Sense of Control & Safety Through Distance
Gen Z grew up in a world full of uncertainty climate change, political instability, pandemics, and social media duress. Listening to crime stories allows them to experience fear in a controlled environment. When hearing about someone else’s trauma, they feel relief knowing that they are not the victim.
This “it could have been me” mentality gives strange comfort. By examining motivations, red flags, and mistakes, they gain a sense of preparedness for their own lives.
2. Curiosity About the Dark Side of the Mind
Humans are wired to want to understand why people commit wrongs. Gen Z is particularly intrigued by true crime storytelling because the investigative details, psychology of killers, and forensic evidence satisfy their need to understand human complexity.
Dr. John Mayer from PodCandy often speaks about how understanding threats, risks, and moral transgressions can help young people stay alert and build moral judgment. It’s not just about “who did it,” but “why did they do it” and “how did society fail or enable them?”
3. Suspense & Mystery Appeal
Suspense is a powerful psychological lure. When you don’t know how the story ends, your brain releases dopamine as you wait for resolution. Mystery drives binge listening.
Statistic: 50% of U.S. true crime consumers say they enjoy suspense and thrill above all else.
Gen Z, with its digital multitasking culture and short attention spans, tends to prefer content with cliffhangers, episodic reveals, and mysteries.
4. Social & Ethical Motives: Shared Interest, Justice, Empathy
Gen Z is often accused of being performative, but many are genuinely drawn to social justice themes in true crime. They care about victims, systemic injustice, policing failures, and legal reform. Listening to true crime can be a form of activism: sharing cases, supporting victims, signing petitions.
Data shows that true crime podcast listeners are several times more likely than non-listeners to engage in advocacy actions, like donating or providing tips in investigations.
There is also a strong sense of community & shared interest among Gen Z. Discord groups, social media threads, TikTok discussions about cases or theories build connections. These spaces allow collective sense-making, moral debate, and empathy building.
Dr. John Mayer from PodCandy says that this community effect is powerful: when someone listens alone but then shares with friends online, the stories feel less isolating and more morally meaningful.
Gen Z Podcast Habits & Escape
Gen Z spends a lot of time online, often multitasking listening while commuting, walking, doing chores, or gaming. Podcasts are portable, fragmentable, and on-demand. True crime fits these habits well. The mix of storytelling, real-life crime, and investigation provides variety.
Additionally, 84% of the U.S. population consumes true crime media, which increases exposure.
Gen Z tends to trust personal narration more than polished media. Many true crime podcasts use a conversational style, with hosts who sound like friends.
PodCandy, hosted by Dr. John Mayer and co-hosts, provides a breakdown of criminal cases, behaviors, and psychology not judgmentally, but in a way that makes listeners think. That style helps build listener loyalty, where they feel they are learning and growing, not just getting thrills.
Risks and Ethical Questions: Where Obsession May Harm
True crime obsession is not without its risks. Psychologically, it can increase anxiety, fear of crime, paranoia, and even disrupt sleep patterns. There’s a fine line between empathy and voyeurism, and some podcasts sensationalize or omit important context, which can lead to misrepresentation of evidence.
Dr. John Mayer often warns on PodCandy that consuming content for entertainment alone without critical thinking normalizes violence. He urges listeners to ask: Was the narrative victim-centered? Were the sources credible? Was there any sensationalism?
Ethical true crime should involve deep investigation, moral reflection, and awareness not just “shock value.”
Why Young People Love True Crime: Summary from Psychology
The combination of these psychological and social needs forms a potent mix. For many young people, true crime isn’t just a guilty pleasure it’s a meaningful hobby or even part of their identity.
The Gen Z true crime obsession is driven by:
- A psychological need for control in an uncertain world
- Curiosity about human nature, especially evil, deviance, and moral failure
- A love for suspense, mystery, and puzzle-solving
- Ethical concerns and a desire to help or witness justice
- The habit of listening while doing other tasks, plus community and shared interest
What Experts Like Dr. John Mayer Say
Dr. John Mayer from the podcast PodCandy: Cults, Crime & Killers speaks frequently about how criminal psychology, risk assessment, and moral development interact with listener interest.
He agrees that true crime teaches us not only about criminals but also about society: what makes us vulnerable, how systems fail, and how people respond.
He adds that Gen Z, because of the digital age, has access to more data, survivor accounts, and legal documents, empowering them to make better-informed decisions, while also demanding more responsibility in their consumption.
How This Obsession Might Shape Culture
Due to the rise in true crime podcasts’ popularity with Gen Z, we may see increased pressure on creators to ensure justice reform, amplify survivor voices, and demand transparency in law enforcement and media. This could push for higher standards in research, ethics, and representation.
We might also see a growing study on the mental health impacts of listening to traumatic content, including anxiety, depression, empathy, and burnout.
Podcasts like PodCandy will likely lead the way in discussions about moral psychology, justice, and trauma because hosts like Dr. Mayer offer both knowledge and humanity.
Final Thoughts
The rise of Gen Z’s obsession with true crime is not random or shallow. It’s a response to our need for storytelling, meaning, justice, safety, and identity. It’s about confronting the ugliness of the world so we can better understand how to make it better.
True crime podcasts hold a mirror not just to criminals but to society itself.
If you’re looking for storytelling with insight, to sharpen your curiosity about crime and morality, and engage your heart, try PodCandy: Cults, Crime & Killers. Dr. John Mayer agrees you’ll find pieces of truth even in the darkest stories.