The nation was moved to dismay in 2014 when a mad crime occurred in Waukesha, Wisconsin. There, two 12-year-old girls lured a friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times to appease a mythical figure called Slender Man. Here is an instance where an internet myth led the warped minds of two young girls committing a heinous crime. What motivated these young children to commit such an incomprehensible offense? And who is Slender Man, in the first place?
The Creation of Slender Man: A Modern Urban Legend
The Renaissance of Modern Urban Legends Slender Man, a faceless, slender figure sporting long, tentacle-like arms and dressed in a black suit, began life as an internet forum contest on the site Something Awful in 2009. Eric Knudsen, posting as "Victor Surge," birthed Slender Man, who in initially doctored photos exudes an eerie presence and had shot to urban legend status quickly, becoming a sort of viral phenomenon within the online creepy pasta world. He's said to haunt, kidnap, or scare kids and is, therefore, the biggest fear on the internet.
And so the myth grew, so did the legend, that his presence was located in wooded places that haunt children and made them go mad. What was once an innocent internet creation would soon degenerate further into badness when people believed it was the real thing - two young girls, in this Slender Man stabbing case.
Slender Man Myth and Crime
In May 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, then 12 years old, committed a brutal attack on their classmate, Payton Leutner. Morgan stabbed Payton 19 times as Anissa watched. Her reason? Morgan and Anissa felt they would act as proxies for Slender Man; the rite would stop him from killing their families.
That crime shocked the local community and the world in general, asking how the myth of the internet could push such young girls into violence. Payton was miraculously survived by their attack, crawling out from the woods for help. Such deep psychological issues were revealed at their trial: Morgan was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, and Anissa had a delusional belief system.
For more insights on unsolved disappearances, check out our post on the The Oakville Blobs: The Unsolved Mystery That Baffled a Town.
Mental Health, Internet Influence, and the Case’s Impact
This case amplified the issue of mental health and the influence such online content had on the young and fragile minds. It challenged society to consider how fast one's imagination and fiction can quickly become real for the vulnerable ones.
Although Morgan and Anissa both received long psychiatric treatment instead of jail sentences, the incident always reminds one of the dark deeds lurking online—especially how subconscious influences posed by internet subcultures and creepy pastas impact the minds of young people.
Cultural Impact and Ongoing Discussions
The Slender Man stabbing case made an indelible cultural mark. Several documentaries, including HBO's Beware the Slenderman, professed to explain what had happened; their in-depth divination of the minds of the young attackers and potential risks of internet mythology have been endless points of discussions about online safety, mental health, and ethical responsibilities of creators in the digital age.
Conclusion
The Slender Man stabbing is a very gruesome incident that blurs the lines of fiction and reality. It is an example of how online myths can become dangerous if left on auto-pilot-the importance of psychological intervention into this world and minds to remind us that in this digitalized world, so many factors also exist when people run helter-skelter in consuming material almost unchecked for their impressionable minds.
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