Social media shapes how teenagers view Lindsay Clancy trial – the Southerner Online | #childpredator | #onlinepredator | #sextrafficing

Social media feeds recently have become flooded with content around large murder cases like the Lindsay Clancy trial. Content on murder cases has become nearly impossible to avoid on social media, no matter your age. For teenagers, videos and comment sections have turned serious crime into another piece of content to scroll past.

The Lindsay Clancy trial has drawn national attention since she was accused of killing her three children in 2023. Recently, Patrick Clancy, Lindsay Clancy’s husband at the time of the murder, and father of her three children, testified about the day the children were killed. Although Lindsay Clancy admitted to killing her three children, her defense argued that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible. On Sept. 9, the jury ultimately couldn’t reach a unanimous decision resulting in a mistrial, making it so there was no clear verdict on whether Lindsay Clancy is criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children. 

Then comes the comment sections, where internet users have shared their various opinions on the case. Instead of social media focusing on the victims, the children, the conversation has shifted towards conspiracy theories that push the blame onto Patrick Clancy for killing the children. Some conspiracy theories even go as far as to claim Patrick Clancy hired a body double to make it seem like he was at CVS, creating a false alibi while he was allegedly killing his children. Patrick Clancy is not the person on trial, yet social media feels the need to investigate him. A father who lost his children becomes the center of social media’s own investigation, while the children become an afterthought to many. 

A complex trial becomes a collection of 30-second videos spreading claims with no evidence. For a high school student scrolling through their feed, it can be hard to tell where real evidence and reporting ends and someone’s conspiracies begin. Nearly half of U.S teens  say they are on their phone constantly, meaning they are constantly exposed to such information. With teenagers spending so much time on their phones, close to five hours per day, this becomes an even greater concern, as social media can become one of their outlets for information on current events. 

The problem isn’t that teenagers are interested in true crime or want to actually understand the case. Curiosity is normal. The problem arises when curiosity turns to social media in search of answers. A short video on social media can make a complex case seem simple. A creator can make a theory with confidence and thousands of people repeat their words as if it were proven by solid evidence.

The Lindsay Clancy case shows how quickly this can happen. A trial involving the deaths of three children can become less about the victims and the facts and more about analyzing the other people involved. Users engage with those involved as if they were celebrities, choosing sides and searching for a specific person to blame. The case itself is devastating, and it deserves attention, but social media users are focusing on the wrong aspects of the case.

For teenagers, that should be reason enough to slow down and analyze what a video is actually saying before believing what appears on their screen. The whole world is surrounded by information, but being surrounded by information does not always mean being surrounded by facts.

The Lindsay Clancy case should not be remembered for the theories of online strangers. It should be remembered for the lives lost and the family that is left to live with that loss. Teenagers are not  able to control what an algorithm puts on their feeds, but they can control what they choose to believe.