犯罪小说，害人害己？

Over the past few years, American's fascination with true crime has blossomed. Series from the podcast “Serial” to Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel have garnered huge followings due, largely, to audiences' morbid curiosity and the taboo of it all: Why did they do it? How did they do it? What drives them? How were they able to move about society undetected? There's also the desire to understand the dark side of the human condition.

在过去的几年里，美国人对真实犯罪的迷恋不断扩大。从播客推出的“推理小说连续剧”到Netflix的犯罪现场：塞西尔酒店的消失在很大程度上是由于观众病态的好奇心和禁忌感：他们为什么这么做？他们是怎么做到的？是什么驱使他们犯罪？他们怎么能在社会上四处走动而不被发现？人们也渴望了解人性的阴暗面。

Women—who are often the primary consumers of true crime, according to a 2010 study—tend to view true crime as an educational tool, providing a framework on how to detect potential abusers and avoid dangerous situations. Plus, an unsolved mystery can be entertaining as hell. 

根据2010年的一项研究，女性往往是真实犯罪故事的主要消费者，她们往往将真实犯罪视为一种教育工具，为如何发现潜在的施虐者并且避免危险情况提供了一个构架。此外，一个悬而未决的谜团也会非常有趣。

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a daily true crime habit, but if you’re feeling depressed, anxious, or paranoid, you may need to re-evaluate how much you’re taking in. Recent research showed that when people actively consumed crime news, whether through news outlets, radio, or television documentaries, they reported being more fearful of crime—regardless of actual crime rates. The same can be said for true crime fans. It’s important to monitor how you’re feeling as you’re listening, reading, or watching—which is easier said than done—and be aware of how these stories may negatively impact your mental health.

当然，每天聆听或者阅读真实犯罪作品的习惯并没有错，但如果你感到沮丧、焦虑或偏执，你可能需要重新考虑一下自己的观看数量。最近的研究表明，当人们积极消费犯罪新闻时，无论是通过新闻媒体、广播还是电视纪录片，无论实际犯罪率如何，人们对犯罪都更加恐惧。对于真实犯罪迷来说也是如此。当你在听、读或观看那些说起来容易做起来难的犯罪故事时，关注你的感受是很重要的，并且你应该知道这些故事会对你的心理健康产生怎样的负面影响。

why it impacts your mental health

为什么会影响你的心理健康

For starters, overconsumption of murder podcasts can give you the overinflated sense that serial killers are constantly lurking around us. “I’m convinced I’m going to be killed on a daily basis and I know logically that is probably not going to happen.” But it’s hard to keep logic in mind when you're watching and hearing these stories all the time.

首先，过度消费的谋杀类播客可能会传递给你过于紧绷的情绪——你会认为连环杀手就潜伏在自己身边。“我每天都觉得自己会被杀，我知道从逻辑上讲，这可能不会发生，”然而，当你一直在看和听这些故事时，很难保持逻辑清晰。

Another problem is that the stories depicted in true crime series hardly represent the full scope of crime in the U.S.country. “Ask yourself, Are they accurate depictions of the average event that happens? Not really,” she said. “On the one hand, it’s certainly healthy to prepare ourselves for this dangerous event out there, but on the other hand, living in this state of alertness can really lead to unnecessary paranoia.”

另一个问题是，真实犯罪系列中描述的故事很难代表美国犯罪的全景。”扪心自问，这些故事对所发生的一般事件的描述是否准确？不太可能，”她说，“一方面，为这类危险事件做好准备当然是有益于人身安全的，但另一方面，生活在这种警觉的状态下，有时确实会导致不必要的偏执。”

Vicary, who is currently studying people’s anxiety levels after they listen to a true crime podcast, said she has heard anecdotes from people who acted more cautiously because of true crime content. This caution becomes a problem, she said, when you’re unable to leave the house because of your fear, or when you’re hesitant to exchange small talk with strangers in public. 

Vicary目前正在研究人们听了真实犯罪播客后的焦虑程度，她听过一些人的轶事，这些人因为真实的犯罪内容而表现得更加谨慎。她说，当你因为恐惧而无法离开家，或者在公共场合与陌生人闲聊时，这种谨慎就成了一个问题。

 What will happen on your body

你身体状况会发生什么改变

"A constant state of high alert, paranoia, and hypervigilance is helpful when we’re trying to protect ourselves from threat in a genuine crisis." Jessica Micono, a forensic psychology professor at Regis University told VICE." But persistent hypervigilance that stems from a diet of true crime can lead to increased overall stress. That increased stress can subsequently lead to stress-related illnesses, things like cardiovascular disease or hypertension.” Micono said.

瑞吉斯大学法证心理学教授杰西卡·米科诺告诉VICE杂志说，“当我们试图在真正的危机中保护自己不受威胁时，持续保持高度警惕、多疑的和高度警觉的状态是有帮助的。但是，由真正的犯罪饮食导致的持续性过度警觉会导致整体压力的增加。增加的压力会导致与压力相关的疾病，比如心血管疾病或高血压。”

After a year on high alert because of the pandemic, flooding your system with nerve-wracking entertainment may exacerbate problems in other areas of life. “If you're going through day-to-day life at this heightened level of fear as your baseline, how are you able to manage other stressors that might happen normally in your day-to-day life, like living in a pandemic?” therapist Erin Parisi told VICE. “Our baselines are already pretty high at that point. You have a bad day at work or you maybe have an argument with your partner and then it can quickly become too much. Everything piles on.”

因一年内持续性疫情而处于高度戒备状态，人们生活充斥着着令人焦虑的娱乐活动，这可能会加剧生活其他方面的问题。治疗师艾琳·帕里西告诉VICE：“如果你正以这种高度的恐惧作为你的基线来度过日常生活，那么你如何应对日常生活中可能正常发生的其他压力？比如生活在不可控的疫情之中？我们的基线已经相当高了。你在工作中遇到了糟糕的一天，或者你可能和你的伴侣发生了争吵，很快就会有更多的压力。所有不快会积累叠加起来。”

Additionally, overexposure to terrifying stories, especially before bed, can permeate our subconscious and cause nightmares. Prolonged sleep deprivation can result in high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, obesity, depression, and more.

此外，过度接触可怕的故事，尤其是在睡前，会渗透到我们的潜意识，引起噩梦。长期睡眠不足会导致高血压、糖尿病、心脏病发作、心力衰竭、肥胖、抑郁等。

How to deal with

如何应对

If your true crime habit is inhibiting your ability to leave the house, get work done, or live without an overwhelming sense of paranoia—feeling like you’re constantly being followed, assuming every noise you hear at night is a murderer breaking in, incorrectly assuming every stranger you encounter will harm you—experts suggest seeking help from a mental health professional. Especially if you already experience anxiety and depression, these stories could compound your symptoms.

如果你观看真实犯罪的习惯影响了你离开家，完成工作的能力，或生活在强大的偏执之下——感觉自己被跟踪的，假设自己在晚上听到的每一个噪音是一个杀人犯闯入，错误地假设你遇到的每一个陌生人都会伤害你。专家建议你向心理健康专家寻求帮助。特别是如果你已经经历过焦虑和抑郁，这些犯罪故事会加重你的症状

And, like most good things, it's a good idea to enjoy your true crime in moderation. When you feel the weight of murder and deception bogging you down, switch up your entertainment to include some comedy or mindless reality TV to lighten the mood. "Some of us enjoy that little adrenaline dump from true crime, and others like playing armchair detective. It's important to honor those dark interests; it's also important to engage in light activities as well.”

而且，像大多数有益的事情一样，适度地享受你的真实犯罪小说是个不错的办法。当你觉得谋杀和欺骗的重压让你陷入困境时，就换个娱乐节目，观看一些喜剧或无意识的真人秀来放松心情。“我们中的一些人喜欢从真实犯罪中获得释放肾上腺素的快感，而另一些人则喜欢扮演袖手旁观的侦探。尊重那些阴暗面的兴趣是很重要的，当然，从事轻松活动也很重要。

1.serial

n. 电视连续剧;广播连续剧;杂志连载小说

adj. 顺序排列的;排成系列的;连续的;多次的;以连续剧形式播出的;连载的

2.taboo

n. (文化或宗教习俗方面的)禁忌，忌讳，戒律;禁止;避讳

adj. 禁忌的，忌讳的

3.paranoid

adj. 多疑的;恐惧的;患偏执症的;有妄想狂的

n. 偏执狂;妄想症患者

4.overinflated

adj. 过高的;过于高涨的;夸张的;夸大的;言过其实的;过度充气的

5.anecdote

n. 逸事;趣闻;传闻

6.hypervigilance

n. 过度警觉;高度警觉;警觉增高

7.nerve-wracking

adj. 令人焦虑的;使人十分紧张的

8.permeate

v. 渗透;弥漫;扩散;感染;传播

9.nightmare

n. 噩梦;梦魇;可怕的经历;难以处理之事

编译 | 王奕涵 

排版 | 王奕涵