The Next Generation of Serial Killers
A recipe for interesting times
The “Golden Age of Serial Killers” — from the early seventies to late nineties — inspired America’s fascination with the fiendish murderers who walk among us, preying upon vulnerable victims.
When it comes to serial killers, brutal seems to be better; the most well-known serial killers are the ones who have committed the most vile and stomach-churning crimes.
Bundy, Gacy, and Holmes represent society’s worst fears manifested into reality: cold, calculated malevolence in charming human form.
Today, serial killers don’t evoke the same fears they did decades ago when many forensic techniques and DNA analysis were still new sciences. Home security systems have also become more common, hitchhiking has become less so, and most people carry a high-definition camera and telephone with them at all times.
For these and other reasons, many believe the age of the serial killer to be waning, but the next generation is right around the corner.
All the Right Ingredients
The conditions that brought about the golden age are numerous and specific to the individuals involved, but major world events can have dramatic effects on entire populations.
The end of World War II meant that soldiers haunted by the horrors of war would return home and try to reintegrate with civilian life. Many did not return, and many others were unable to raise children while struggling with severe PTSD.
The horrors of war inflicted scars that were passed from one generation to the next via emotional neglect that primed them for detachment from society — and then the Vietnam War threw gasoline on the fire.
A divided and chaotic society was the perfect hunting ground for those who see people as prey, and today’s environment is very similar.
With calls to defund or reorganize police departments gaining popularity, policing is being called into serious question for the first time. This could be seen as a sign of weakness for these predators, despite the advancement of forensic sciences.
Multiple economic collapses followed by years of pandemic isolation have resulted in a very unstable future in the eyes of antisocial adolescents who will see their own dark traits as adaptive and ideal for survival in this new environment.
Additionally, a smaller portion of these adolescents will have experienced parental abuse or neglect while isolating together during quarantine.
The combination of abuse, neglect, and an environment that glorifies violence, sex, fame, and material wealth will cause them to see others as opponents to be defeated so that they can amass the wealth and power that will shield them from a hostile and uncaring society.
How to Make a Serial Killer
Serial killers are shaped into what they become by their environment during their adolescent years. Trauma, abuse, and instability combine with genetics to form a person so disconnected from the people in their lives that they view others as interchangeable. They can’t form genuine connections with others because they never saw a reason to as a child.
In a normal person, this type of trauma might result in PTSD, anxiety, or depression later in life, but an antisocial person’s view of others is shaped by this abuse and instability, causing them to view others — and attachment itself — with extreme suspicion or contempt.
The typical criminal commits their crimes out of necessity, passion, or environmental influence; however, the antisocial criminal commits their crimes because early life experiences taught them that others are tools to be used to gain power and wealth
Early childhood abandonment or neglect — usually perpetrated by parents or other authority figures — instills an intense hatred or rejection of society that is almost impossible to reverse.
If such a person also witnessed extremely violent or sexual acts during childhood or was subjected to abuse and grew up lacking meaningful societal attachments, they may eventually act on their violent impulses.
Once they get a taste for violence and adrenaline, the hunger becomes all-consuming.
The Next Generation
Thanks to the internet, the next generation of serial killers have grown up with full access to the most disturbing content available, a perpetually boring and stifling education system, and imaginations fueled by a deluge of horrific headlines from around the world.
I’d imagine most of them are big fans of true crime as well.
With decades of previous cases to study, they’ll be able to avoid many of the pitfalls that have ended the careers of some of the most well-known serial killers.
Once they become aware of society’s attitude towards antisocial personalities and internalize the dehumanization that is directed at them, they tend to detach from humanity in self-defense, something that bodes ill for all.
Their familiarity with technology will likely make them much harder to catch, and a basic knowledge of forensics is now fairly common.
Police departments and law enforcement in general are slow to adapt to changing times and technology, but individuals are not.
Law enforcement culture promotes conformity, linear thinking, and an “us vs them” mindset that prevents the rapid adaptation necessary to catch technologically sophisticated killers.
Who do you think will prevail: our valiant law enforcement officers that only occasionally mistake their firearms for tasers, or the budding serial killers raised with technology, social media, and a culture that celebrates violence and makes celebrities of predators?
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
