Reading about or listening to stories of real-world violence does not seem to make people more creative when it comes to harming others. In fact, heavy consumers of true crime might actually be less likely to use their imaginative skills for malicious purposes. These findings were recently published in The Journal of Creative Behavior. Media consumption shapes how people think, feel, and act in their daily lives. Researchers have spent decades testing how fictional violence in video games and movies might influence aggression. Many psychologists suggest that consuming violent content primes aggressive thoughts and desensitizes watchers to human suffering. Yet one exceptionally popular genre has largely escaped scientific scrutiny. True crime media focuses on real human stories of assault, serial murder, and hostage situations. Half of the public in the United States consumes true crime tales on television, in books, or through podcasts. People often debate whether immersing oneself in these grim realities might leave a lasting, negative imprint on an individual. A team of psychology researchers wondered if this constant exposure to real-life violence …