AN EXPLORATION INTO THE EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE TRUE CRIME COMMUNITY ON TUMBLR

Abstract

This research is an exploration of the motivations and meanings behind participating in Dark Fandoms from the perspective of the True Crime Community on Tumblr. This research was informed by a range of literature which contextualized the True Crime Community as being on the receiving end of a Moral Panic, along with discussing the natural progression of these fan communities forming with growing financial incentives for the media to sensationalize violence. Through the use of online ethnography and thematic analysis data was gathered from individuals who identified with the True Crime Community. The primary aim of this study is to gain insight into the community, and to examine how they engage with gender. This study concludes that the community is made up of mainly female “outsiders” who have connected with people sharing similar experiences. Their experiences with loneliness and mental health are key to them relating to and engaging with the perpetrators of these crimes.