IN BLANKSTARE NEWS: Are you obsessed with true crime stories?

Dr. Rutledge our brains are "hardwired" to pay attention to things that might cause us harm – even if the threat is not directed at us. "Our brains weren't designed for a mediated world, so we have an innate tendency to respond to media reports as if they could actually affect us," she said.

Is there a reason we become obsessed with true crime stories? Psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge told Insider that the reason we become so invested in stories like the disappearance (and death) of 22-year-old Gabby Petito is based on our “fight or flight” response. According to Dr. Rutledge our brains are "hardwired" to pay attention to things that might cause us harm – even if the threat is not directed at us. "Our brains weren't designed for a mediated world, so we have an innate tendency to respond to media reports as if they could actually affect us," she said.