At the time of digital immersion, one of the most popular genres among youth audiences is a psychological thriller because these films are characterized by tense plots, ambiguous characters, and emotionally colored stories. This work discusses the influence of psychological thrillers on the life patterns of Youngsters, the focus being on the choice, taking risks, prolonged influence, binge-watching, and fascination with the criminal mentality. The approach to quantitative research was used to collect data on 237 respondents.

According to the Social Learning Theory and Cultivation Theory, the research concludes that repeated viewing of psychological thrillers is linked to the increase of risk-taking behavior, interest in crime, and obsessive behaviour of media consumption. The findings indicate that viewers often internalize fictional behavior, do not distinguish easily between reality and fiction, and are morally ambiguous and desensitized.

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