True crime is appealing. The disappearance of the attractive young Influencer Gabby Petito was a true crime story that ignited the public’s curiosity and demonstrated the power of network communications. People on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter all got involved, eager to be amateur detectives, pouring over Gabby’s social media posts and trying to hunt down clues to solve the mystery. The attention snowballed, and fascination grew. The hashtag #gabbypetito gained millions of views. The event inspired new Instagram and TikTok accounts created to track the unfolding story and an avalanche of unofficial content in TikTok videos. While claiming to help the cause, most posts are little more than TikTok clickbait full of homegrown theories, deconstructing the social media documentation of Gabby’s relationship with her fiancé and capitalizing on often imaginary embellishments to Gabby’s story.
Sadly, Gabby’s body has been found and ruled a homicide. Yet, the drama continues. Authorities are now hunting for her fiancé, who has disappeared into the snake and gator-laden reserves of Florida. Fans will rally to the new plot points. #justiceforGabbyPetito. TikTok knows drama.
Instinct Rules
Hearing about missing persons, murder, and betrayal is scary. Thanks to our primitive brains, we are hardwired to react to danger—instinctive fear response is the root cause of what is little more than True Crime’ rubbernecking’ on social media over the Gabby Petito case. Fear triggers adrenaline which activates our attention to keep us safe. However, what was adaptive on the Savannah doesn’t work well on social media where virtual feels real.
True Crime As a Primer for Staying Safe
Women tend to be more interested in true crime than men, no matter the medium. Women are more likely to fear being a victim, and Gabby was a woman. Consequently, women have more incentive to pay attention to the potential danger implied by this story. People learn through observation and outcomes and gain insights into motivations and behaviors. If someone feels vulnerable, true crime stories are not just cautionary tales but a source of insights and strategies about staying safe and surviving.
Empathy, Identification and Parasocial Investment
Gabby Pepito was a young, attractive woman exploring nature and chronicling her adventure on social media. She was not the typical Influencer grandstanding fancy outfits or pouty lips but presented an authentic back-to-nature way of life. Those inspired by Gabby’s seemingly idyllic adventure or those who desire social media fame can empathize and identify with her. Gabby’s social media content provided a treasure trove of images and texts for others to interpret, share and manipulate. Spending time with someone on social media looking at their images, reading about them, and watching their videos, also increases the emotional connection and attachment. The emotional investment increases interest because it is now about you as well as about them. The sense of knowing increases the relational experience—even if you have never actually met the person. These parasocial or one-sided relationships are amplified by audience participation and community affiliation because they reinforce the value of the connection. Creating content, following, sharing and attracting likes and followers allow people to feel move from connection to ownership, enhancing identity. Perceptions that they are somehow “helping” enhance feelings of competence, confirm their relationship with the victim, and let them feel smarter and safer.
The Appeal of a Good Story
Like all events, true crime is a narrative. Narratives signal a linear causal path and our brains fill in the blanks. The murder of a young woman and a missing fiancé makes a compelling story arc with crisis and the conflict between good versus evil. It’s an opportunity to explore the darker side of human nature with psychological distance. TikTokers become the storytellers, creating fan-fiction by embellishing and furthering the narrative through the constraints and artifice of a three-minute video loop, speculation, projection, and fantasy. Feeling over facts.
In uncertain times, true crime stories can provide comfort because narratives have a predictable arc that promises resolution–one way or another. Stories are a microcosm of real life, so endings are not always happy, but they do end. When there is uncertainty in the world, people crave resolution to restore order to the world. Expect new enthusiasm for #justiceforgabbypetito.
It is unfortunate for the Petito family that Gabby’s case has been so publicly exploited. Whatever initial gratitude the Petito family might have felt from public support, the avalanche of speculation must be extraordinarily painful. My heart goes out to them. They are the ones who need our compassion and respect now.
N.B. While there are psychological reasons why True Crime appeals and the Petito case illustrates that, we can’t overlook the social equity implications of the case. The focus of the media and the activation of social media galvanized public support to find and, now, find justice for Petito. Yes, it helped that she had a very public social media profile and a ‘built-in’ audience, but we can’t overlook the disparity between the attention paid to her case compared to the hundreds of disappearances that don’t involve attractive, young white women.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available to reporters for comments on the psychological and social impact of media and technology on individuals, society, organizations and brands.