What's everyone's stance on the new paranormal television boom?

Bit of a random one, but I've noticed there's absolutely loads of paranormal content on the streaming services lately. You've got ghost hunter shows, cryptid documentaries, mediumship competitions... it's mad. Part of me thinks it's brilliant because it normalises interest in the paranormal, but the other part wonders if it's just sensationalism and entertainment dressed up as investigation.

Like, are these programmes actually helping us understand anything genuine, or are they just exploiting people's curiosity for views? And does the dramatisation make it harder for serious researchers to be taken seriously?

What's everyone's take? Are you watching any of this stuff, and do you think it's doing more good or harm?

It's mostly absolute rubbish, if I'm honest. They'll have six people standing around an empty field at night, someone 'feels a presence,' and suddenly that's evidence of a haunting. No controls, no proper methodology. But I keep watching anyway because it's entertaining, even if it's not scientifically rigorous. At least it gets people thinking about the topic.

The problem is that genuine paranormal researchers end up getting lumped in with all the TV nonsense. I've been investigating unusual phenomena for nearly twenty years, and people assume I'm either making it up for ratings or I'm some sort of grifter. The entertainment industry has definitely made our job harder.

I actually think some of the better documentaries do raise interesting questions, even if they're not conclusive. The stuff about consciousness and near-death experiences, for instance - there's legitimate scientific debate there. It's the ghost-hunting reality shows that are the problem. Those are just about finding jump scares and tears rolling down someone's cheeks.

My nan loves watching these shows and now she thinks every creak in her house is a ghost. So from that perspective, I think they're irresponsible. They prey on older people's fears. But then again, if it keeps the paranormal in the cultural conversation, maybe that's not entirely bad?