While social media can be helpful in spreading awareness regarding cases, it also comes with a hefty load of negative effects that can risk the integrity of our justice system.
High profile cases have always come with lots of opinions and misleading “facts,” but the newfound thirst for true crime seen online, specifically on TikTok, has given these opinions a new platform.
The term “TikTok detectives” has become popularized due to the influx of true crime stories shared on the platform. Currently, “#truecrime” on TikTok has over 3.5 million posts attached to it. Any person with a phone and commitment can now go from an average individual theorizing about a case to a trusted “investigator” simply because their post goes viral.
Oftentimes, these “detectives” have no expertise in the criminal field, just a lack of camera fright and a willingness to proclaim individual’s guilt for their own benefit. Turning these tragedies into glamorized — and monetized — content has become an all-too-common reality in our modern era.
True crime is nothing new. Beginning with crimes such as the infamous OJ Simpson case, people have had their eyes transfixed on any high profile cases, especially one unveiling before their very eyes. But there is a clear distinction between the traditional media coverage of cases like Simpson’s and the social media coverage we now have.
Modern coverage will often result in an Echo Chamber Effect and confirmation bias. The Echo Chamber Effect occurs when an individual’s beliefs and views are reinforced by exposure to information that aligns with their preexisting opinions.
Confirmation bias explains people’s tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs. Social media sites serve as a breeding ground for this because of their fundamental goal to connect groups of like-minded users together based on shared content preferences.
Algorithms on social media rarely challenge individuals’ opinions, and they also contribute to the rapid spread of misinformation which give unfounded opinions the ability to be presented as fact.
The effects of this can be clearly seen in a recent high profile case where Massachusetts mom, Lindsay Clancy, stood trial for the January 2023 murders of her three young children, the youngest being 8 months old, and the others being 3 and 5 years old. At the time, Clancy and her attorneys did not dispute the claim that she caused their deaths, but they claim she cannot be held criminally liable due to her experiencing post-partum psychosis.
These TikTok detectives and self-proclaimed true crime junkies often seek to find a more dramatic answer to these cases rather than what the actual experts are presenting. Sensational stories are what garner the most attention, engagement and money. And it seems as though these “detectives” will do anything necessary to achieve that.
Criminologist Justin Ellis told Women’s Day, “TikTok sleuths are not careful. Neither are they acting in the interest of the victims or their families. They don’t have their consent. They are willing to capitalise on others’ trauma and exacerbate the families’ pain.”
At some point in time, we have to stop and ask ourselves when these true crime pages go from seeking justice to showcasing extreme ethical violations.
For example, in Clancy’s case, the defense themselves were not disputing her involvement in the murders, but TikTok users rallied together in her support when they ultimately decided to blame her husband, Patrick Clancy, for the murders instead. Patrick has not faced any criminal charges.
“[Patrick’s] life has been turned upside down into a nightmare that he doesn’t deserve,” Kevin Reddington, the attorney for Lindsay Clancy, said in an interview with TODAY.
“I respect the fact that people are invested and that they’re doing their due diligence and they’re investigating and God bless them,” Reddington said. “But the bottom line is, he did not deserve what he went through.”
“This campaign of misinformation has been launched and promoted by minor celebrities, so-called influencers and outright conspiracy theorists who appear intent on boosting their own social media profiles and potential profit by publishing what they know to be outright falsehoods that Patrick was somehow involved in the death of his young children and other vile claims,” Patrick’s attorney Howard Cooper said in a statement.
The Clancy case is far from the only example of this sensationalism. Because these opinions are the ones gaining attention, other creators will follow suit, and soon, more people are aware of misinformation than the truth.
The United States claims to have a justice system based on the sentiment of innocence until proven guilty, but social media has instead caused individuals to proclaim guilt from the first theory of wrongdoing.
Instead of letting the professionals do their jobs, these creators take matters into their own hands, failing to realize that it is often better to wait until we have the information before picking sides.
Interfering with investigations can cause even more harm to victims and their families than if we simply let trained investigators do what they need to do.
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