In 2017, trypophobia received media attention when American Horror Story featured a trypophobic character[12] and trypophobia-inducing advertisements promoting the storyline; some people were disturbed by the imagery,[2][13] and criticized the show for "insensitivity towards sufferers of trypophobia".[13] Although there was sentiment that the increased media attention could lead to people trying to induce trypophobia, there were also opinions that it might help people understand trypophobia and encourage more research on the matter.[11]