Crime thrillers are like the Pied Piper to the young and the impressionable of the society

Films and TV shows happen to be one of the top recreational activities for individuals to relax and de-stress. They do not just allow for an escape from the mundaneness of everyday life, but also for very many people, particularly the young, they provide an ideal to strive towards. With the surge in streaming platforms, movies belonging to different genres are available to individuals of ages, with little to no supervision. The probability of youngsters being influenced by movies, especially crime is incredibly high. The target audience of thrillers, particularly crime thrillers, is the 15-21 age group.^[1] While these ages are more mature, they are the also more exposed, and thereby vulnerable to situations where violence may be seen as an option. Viewing violent acts carried out by their favorite actors desensitizes them to violence in general, making them see it as a viable option for solving conflict. More often than not, young teens who have been exposed to violent movies and TV series for a prolonged period of time, resort to bullying and displaying violence at home, which can have long term effects on the individual’s psyche.^[2] Popular films depicting crimes can also compel the young audience into imitating the acts committed on screen. Peer pressure is a powerful force, particularly for those longing to be part of a particular group. As a result, they may carry out the acts, believing that “if they can do it, why can’t I?” Often, the boundary between the reel and real-world becomes blurry, until one’s lived reality, is, in fact, fictitious; a simulation.^[3] This is evident in the case of the two Salt Lake City boys who were turned in by a close relative after overhearing them speaking of kidnapping, torturing and finally murdering several people. They formulated a detailed plan based on the movie “Saw”, and intended to become vigilantes, punishing those who harmed innocent people.^[4] This is not an isolated incident, showing that violence and crime in films definitely influence its young audience.

[P1] Young people have psyches in development which are easily impressed upon and influenceable. [P2] Young people can fall into peer pressure to engage in illegal activities inspired by popular films or series.