Throughout our Electronic Communications class we have discussed topics ranging from Facebook, to SecondLife, to Online Dating, and beyond. I would have never thought, though, that sitting through my Abnormal Psychology class we would cover a horrifying case that included all of these topics and more. We have heard of people becoming addicted to their online lives, but did you know these people do not only get wrapped up in these things via the internet? TV shows can also have a horryfing impact on their fans as well.
The case is of a man named Mark Twitchell who was a crazed fan of the show Dexter, which is about a forensic expert who is also a serial killer. Twitchell claims to be an aspiring film maker, who has already filmed his own remake of the Starwars movies (a hint that he might be a bit off the wall!). According to investigators, Twitchell is being accused of first degree murder after attempting to reenact an episode of Dexter by luring a 38-year-old man to his garage (descriped as more horrifying than all 5 Saw movies combined) and cutting the man into pieces just like he saw on the show. Heres the catch: The man was lured to Twitchell's house via an online dating service where he was pretending to be a woman. Similarly, Twitchells Facebook page explains how he feels he and the Dexter character have far too much in common. On his Myspace page, where he oddly enough only has 13 'friends', he posted an eerie quotes stating "The world is getting bigger and so is my influence on it." Keep in mind that Twitchell is a married, otherwise 'normal' man who would have never been suspected of these crimes.
I feel that this case is sadly an excellent example of the impact technology can have on people. The crimes committed by Twitchell were undoubtedly influenced by a TV character, which was obviously not the intent of the producers of the show. Twitchell's crimes may have been prevented if his online activity had been observed more closely. Had someone found out about him impersonating a woman in a dating service, some questions would have been raised. Perhaps if someone had noticed earlier his strong connection with Dexter's gruesome character, which he made clear on his Facebook profile, someone could have stopped his future actions. Also, had someone explored his MySpace page and noticed how ironic his quote was, his insanity would have been seen beforehand. Sadly, use of the internet has become so common that people often overlook odd behaviors online. It seems as though eerie actions are more acceptable via the internet than they are in the real world, which is why people often get so involved in online worlds. It is time we begin paying closer attention to what types of behaviors certain people are taking part in online. If we continue to ignore peculiar behaviors online that we would not accept in society, acts of violence and crime could begin to skyrocket due to lack of law and observation of these types of behaviors.
The case is of a man named Mark Twitchell who was a crazed fan of the show Dexter, which is about a forensic expert who is also a serial killer. Twitchell claims to be an aspiring film maker, who has already filmed his own remake of the Starwars movies (a hint that he might be a bit off the wall!). According to investigators, Twitchell is being accused of first degree murder after attempting to reenact an episode of Dexter by luring a 38-year-old man to his garage (descriped as more horrifying than all 5 Saw movies combined) and cutting the man into pieces just like he saw on the show. Heres the catch: The man was lured to Twitchell's house via an online dating service where he was pretending to be a woman. Similarly, Twitchells Facebook page explains how he feels he and the Dexter character have far too much in common. On his Myspace page, where he oddly enough only has 13 'friends', he posted an eerie quotes stating "The world is getting bigger and so is my influence on it." Keep in mind that Twitchell is a married, otherwise 'normal' man who would have never been suspected of these crimes.
I feel that this case is sadly an excellent example of the impact technology can have on people. The crimes committed by Twitchell were undoubtedly influenced by a TV character, which was obviously not the intent of the producers of the show. Twitchell's crimes may have been prevented if his online activity had been observed more closely. Had someone found out about him impersonating a woman in a dating service, some questions would have been raised. Perhaps if someone had noticed earlier his strong connection with Dexter's gruesome character, which he made clear on his Facebook profile, someone could have stopped his future actions. Also, had someone explored his MySpace page and noticed how ironic his quote was, his insanity would have been seen beforehand. Sadly, use of the internet has become so common that people often overlook odd behaviors online. It seems as though eerie actions are more acceptable via the internet than they are in the real world, which is why people often get so involved in online worlds. It is time we begin paying closer attention to what types of behaviors certain people are taking part in online. If we continue to ignore peculiar behaviors online that we would not accept in society, acts of violence and crime could begin to skyrocket due to lack of law and observation of these types of behaviors.
3 comments:
I agree with you that this story shows how much things on the Internet need to be monitored. This man could clearly be identified as a threat from his Facebook and Myspace. If someone was checking on this like this he would have never been able to murder someone. It amazes me how much people let Internet and TV take over their lives.
I am amazing with what people can do on the internet and get away with it. And also, I can't beleive how much the internet along with television controls people's lives as well. This story is a good example of how the internet should be monitored. Like our coaches always say, don't put things on your Facebook that you would not want your grandparents to see. For this guy, he could of been a treat because of his profiles.
It's really amazing how caught up people can get with television and how they translate a fictional show into their actual lives. And yes, it is true that odd behavior like this should be reported, but we should not get so paranoid about it that we begin to stalk our loved ones to make sure they are not psychotic or self-destructive. All in moderation.
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