The Problem With True Crime and Solo Travel: Why We’re Trapped in Society's Fear
I’ll just come out and say it: I am a hater of true crime.
Recently, I was doing some research and stumbled across a thread on Reddit that perfectly illustrates why. A user posted something along the lines of, "I am a true crime junkie, and now I am absolutely terrified of traveling solo. I’m planning to limit my time outside while I am traveling."
Honestly, I felt incredibly bad for this person. It’s deeply saddening that they are not only consuming this content but also actively letting podcasts, documentaries, and other media scare them out of living their life. Fortunately, there were some sensible people in the comments telling them exactly what they needed to hear: stop listening to true crime and start focusing on practical safety tips instead.
When I first traveled alone, no one told me I needed a special box with all my passwords written down, my bank accounts documented, and a detailed schedule of my whereabouts. Instead, I had a mom who made me check in against my will and an aunt who helped me choose a hostel in Canada.
Was I nervous about my first solo trip? Yes, but I also felt an overwhelming sense of freedom and, to be honest, safety. I packed a bag, drove over five hours to Canada without knowing anyone there, and felt safer than ever before.
But after years of solo travel, that feeling of freedom now coexists with anxiety fueled by others. Many people consume true crime stories and have become overly cautious. I’ve become that friend who dismisses true crime because I’m tired of friends and society spreading fear. The surge in true-crime podcasts, investigative documentaries, and constant news coverage has transformed a curiosity about mysteries into a collective obsession with danger.
Today, many of us don’t just travel alone; we do so with a mental soundtrack of worst-case scenarios. For many adventurers, the carefree spirit of travel is being overshadowed by a culture of fear and (social) media-induced hyper-vigilance. For a while, I stopped telling friends I was traveling until they saw my posts on social media. While practicing safety during solo trips is crucial, there’s a fine line between being cautious and being overwhelmed by fear.
Below, I list my top three issues with the true-crime genre's misconceptions about solo travel that create unnecessary fear among solo travelers. I also share how you can regain your sense of adventure and offer tips for those new to solo travel.
1. The Burden of Shared Travel Anxiety
Planning a solo trip should be exciting and freeing. However, I've noticed that close friends often turn my travel plans into safety briefings that sometimes border on extreme paranoia.
One of the oddest moments was when I was told to prepare a "go-missing box" (an idea popularized by certain true-crime podcasts like Crime Junkie) containing my bank info and passwords, just in case I disappear, to help law enforcement find me. Why this advice? She “heard it on a podcast, so she’s spreading the word.”
This is how the true crime "fear spell" operates. It infects one listener, who then feels compelled to spread that paranoia to others. I’ve received numerous unsolicited pieces of advice like this, ones that assume I’m naive and unprepared for the terrifying unknown.
Or
There are people who genuinely care and are concerned, but their words make me withdraw even further from friends and others. It pushes us to prepare for extremely rare, worst-case scenarios involving shadowy strangers, although statistically, violence is more likely to occur nearby.
The Reality: There is a clear difference between reasonable safety precautions and extreme preparations for unlikely disasters. When we push travelers to prepare for the worst before they've even packed, we’re not helping; we’re just allowing media fears to foster unnecessary panic.
This anxiety discourages people from sharing their travel experiences and scares newcomers away from embarking on their first solo trip. To avoid this constant stream of warnings, I've started saving my travel stories for after I return.
2. The Societal Double Standard of Solo Travel Safety
This wave of fear isn’t distributed evenly. Society is particularly focused on creating fear around solo travelers, especially women traveling alone. Hollywood, true-crime podcasts, and sensational headlines often depict a single woman as a vulnerable, defenseless target. The media trains us to view women’s presence in public spaces as naturally fragile.
When a woman travels without a male companion, her independence is often viewed as reckless defiance. The double standard is clear:
Men traveling alone are seen as bold adventurers on a journey of self-discovery.
Women traveling alone are viewed as cautionary tales waiting to happen.
This pervasive societal messaging adds a heavy burden of guilt. Even minor issues like delayed flights or small travel scams are met with subtle victim-blaming: “What did she expect, traveling alone?”
People on social media and in comment sections are always quick to judge.
Whenever a tragic story hits the news, people often ask, "Why was she traveling alone?" or say, "She should have stayed home." This response shifts blame from the perpetrator to the victim's independence. It overlooks that danger can be anywhere—including our own neighborhoods—and unfairly considers a woman's desire for adventure as a mistake.
3. Solo Travel Statistics vs. Media Myths
The ultimate irony of this media-induced panic is that it completely flips reality on its head. Thrillers and crime features feed on the narrative of the shadowy, monstrous stranger lurking in an alley or a remote hostel. However, data tracked by agencies like the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics paints a completely different picture.
The Reality of Violent Crime: Statistically, between 73% and 79% of violent crimes are committed by people the victim already knows, such as partners, family members….yes, you read that right…over 70 percent of crime is committed by people you KNOW.
The stark reality was clearly exemplified in the tragic 2021 case of Gabby Petito, a story that stunned the world and sparked widespread true-crime discussions. Gabby, a 22-year-old travel vlogger, documented her "vanlife" adventures through America's national parks. To outsiders, the risks of her lifestyle appeared to stem from the isolation of the road, campsites, and the vulnerability of being a young woman in the wilderness.
However, her harm did not come from a malicious stranger on a hiking trail or a predator at a truck stop; it was inflicted by her fiancé, the person she traveled with, lived with, and trusted.
Looking back at my own experiences, the statistics match my reality. The only times I have ever truly felt unsafe, manipulated, or trapped while traveling were not while wandering through foreign cities alone at midnight. It was when I was traveling with people I actually knew.
I was once in Paris with a friend from college. She didn’t like a picture I took of her on Snapchat and turned emotionally and verbally violent. All because of a picture. That was day one out of 13 days and four countries….
How to Reclaim Your Travel Freedom
We should absolutely practice safety 100% of the time. Situational awareness, locking your doors, watching your drinks, and researching your destinations are fundamental aspects of smart travel. But we must refuse to let society's fears dictate our boundaries.
A Note for Brand-New Solo Travelers
If you are getting ready to take your very first solo trip, or if you are still brand-new to traveling solo, this section is for you.
It is completely normal to feel a mix of excitement and nerves right now. But I want you to remember that the anxiety you might be feeling isn’t necessarily yours; often, it is just the collective weight of other people’s fears that have been pushed onto you. Do not let the horror stories cheat you out of your milestone moments. You are fully capable of navigating this world safely, confidently, and on your own terms.
If you want to fall back in love with solo traveling (or fall in love with it for the very first time), here is how to protect your peace of mind:
Put Friends on an "Information Diet": You are under no obligation to share your travel plans with people who treat your joy like a crime scene. Keep your itineraries private until you return.
Differentiate Safety from Paranoia: Buying a satellite beacon for a well-traveled European city or setting up DNA/go-missing boxes isn't practical; it's a response to stories based on rare exceptions to general rules. Focus on real-world safety (like local emergency numbers and safe lodging), not fictional scenarios.
Trust Yourself and the World: You possess the intuition needed to keep yourself safe. Trust it. The world is far less terrifying than a sensationalized headline or an anxious friend makes it out to be.
Turn down the noise of the doomsayers, practice smart safety habits, and let yourself get beautifully, peacefully lost in the beauty of solo travel.