Why do overly violent shows and movies have so much success?

Many popular television shows -- even those in the so-called "family" time slot of 7-8: 30 p.m. -- also feature much more violence than shows aired in this time slot just a few years ago. American children watch an average of between three and fours hours of television daily. As a result, TV violence and children has become a hot topic. read more

Given the tremendous buzz and interest in reality programs such as Netflix’s Making a Murderer, about the exoneration and then murder conviction of Steven Avery, HBO’s The Jinx, about eccentric millionaire and possible serial killer Robert Durst, and Serial Season 1, about the case of convicted murderer Adnan Syed, it is clear that true crime shows are tantalizing to millions of people. read more