Crime Deviance and Online Voyeurism

Kylee Marciello*, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505

Field (Broad Category): Criminology/Criminal Justice (Oral-Human Engagement) 

Student’s Major: Psychology & Criminology 

Social Media has become a big part of social life, especially for younger generations. Although social media sites and apps can have many positive consequences for users, this study focuses on the negative effects of these sites, drawing from two psychological concepts – voyeurism, or the enjoyment from seeing the pain or distress of others, and narcissism – which follows the definition of a lack of empathy within an individual. Narcissism typically encompasses the need for admiration, all while possessing a large sense of self-centeredness. While there has been substantial research done in an effort to identify psychological factors related to social media use, the current study applies these issues specifically to the “performance” of crime and its spectatorship. To do so, it uses specific cases of intoxication crime and other deviance among college students found on college-based websites. While “bad behavior” among college students is far from a new phenomenon, the digital age creates new opportunities to document and share behaviors in ways that blur the lines between private and public, shame and fame, and in doing so, encourage rather than deters such behavior. Based on an analysis of selected cases, this study will explore these and other issues regarding voyeurism and narcissism to expand an understanding of crime motives and social control. 

Funding: 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU Work Study (not associated with RAP)