Gen Z women think these guys are to die for!

Young women who binge-watch TikTok videos romanticizing criminals are more likely to feel sexually attracted to offenders, a new study found.

Those who liked or repeatedly watched clips glorifying cons scored higher for the psychological phenomenon known as hybristophilia, than users who scrolled past, according to the research published in the journal Deviant Behavior.

The videos often featured notorious serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer or fictional villains like Joe Goldberg from Netflix’s “You,” depicting them as misunderstood, protective or even romantic.

Some users called the men “ideal partners,” twisting violent or possessive acts as expressions of loyalty and love. 

Others leaned into irony, posting sexually suggestive comments like “Daddy” or “Smash” — slang for attraction — under clips of murderers, while a recurring “I can fix him” fantasy revealed a belief that love could reform a criminal.

The study, led by psychologists at the University of Huddersfield in England analyzed 66 TikToks and 91 comments posted between 2020 and 2024, then surveyed nearly 100 female users aged 18 to 27 to measure hybristophilia levels, empathy and dark personality traits.

Researchers also flagged “actor-offender transference” — when attraction to actors like Zac Efron or Evan Peters, who played Bundy and Dahmer on-screen, spills into attraction to the real-life killers.

The authors said the findings show how TikTok “can subtly shape empathy and moral boundaries among Gen Z women.”

“The platform’s romanticized portrayals of offenders, often through attractive actors, emotionally charged soundtracks and ironic humor, can blur the line between fantasy and real-world harm,” said Professor Maria Ioannou and Dr. Calli Tzani, of Huddersfield’s Cyberpsychology Research Network.

“Instead of evoking empathy for victims, these narratives often redirect emotional identification toward offenders, softening perceptions of their actions,” they said.

Michelle Drouin, associate professor of psychology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and co-author of the study, said the algorithm keeps users hooked.

“Once a person shows interest in content, the algorithm learns that interest, so initial curiosity can feed hours of suggested content,” Drouin told The Post. “This content — sometimes digging deeply into a criminal’s past and present life — can spur feelings of closeness or intimacy with the criminal.”

That craving for connection, she said, “is a natural human motivation” — but with more people turning to screens for intimacy, many now seek it online rather than in real life.

In December 2024, that fascination played out in real life in the aftermath of the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on West 54th street in Midtown.

Within hours of the arrest of 26-year-old data engineer Luigi Mangione, social media filled with memes and posts admiring Mangione’s looks, a response critics said “trivialized violence” and showed how easily accused killers are glamorized online.

TikTok’s design encourages obsession by rewarding emotional clips that make danger feel exciting, using repetition and emotional cues to make violent figures seem more appealing over time, said Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center.

“Virtual romance (has) become increasingly central to modern emotional life, particularly among younger generations immersed in hyperconnected digital environments,” Rutledge said.

“TikTok, AI companions and “romantasy” subcultures create psychological conditions that can facilitate hybristophilic attraction by normalizing and romanticizing danger,” she added.