Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media

If politics and media leave you feeling angry, overwhelmed, or exhausted, Outrage Overload is for you.

In about 30 minutes every few weeks, we explore how outrage spreads, how hyper-partisanship distorts perception, and how media and technology amplify emotional extremes.

Through conversations with leading scientists, researchers, and authors, we unpack the psychology, incentives, and systems shaping today’s political climate — and offer practical tools to think clearly, stay grounded, and respond constructively.

Outrage Overload helps listeners with critical questions about outrage culture, political polarization, misinformation, and media manipulation—offering science-based insight, expert interviews, and practical tools to stay grounded in a divided world.

If you’ve ever asked yourself…

• How can I stay politically informed without feeling outraged or exhausted all the time?

• Why is political polarization getting worse, and what can we do about it?

• What exactly is outrage culture, and how does it manipulate us?

• How do I talk about politics without it turning into a fight?

• Am I being misled by the media? How can I tell?

• What’s the psychological toll of living in an outrage-driven media environment?

• How can I build critical thinking skills to make sense of today’s news?

• What role does social media play in fueling outrage and misinformation?

• Is it possible to care about politics without losing your mind?

• What practical tools or insights can help me deal with toxic politics and media?

…then this is the politics show you didn’t know you needed.

Most media is designed to hijack your biology. They have the tactics, but they lack a worldview that respects your intelligence. Outrage Overload uses the tools of modern technology not to capture your attention, but to return it to you. We aren't here to 'fix the algorithm'; we're here to help you outgrow it.

Join host David Beckemeyer—science communicator and founding CTO of EarthLink—as he explores the mechanics of outrage, speaks with experts in psychology, media, and political science, and equips listeners with strategies for navigating today’s high-conflict culture with emotional resilience, critical thinking, and civil discourse.

Podcasting since 2022 • 154 episodes

Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media

Latest Episodes

Outrage Overload x The Politics Guys: Deconstructing Polarization

Why does our modern political landscape feel so intensely divided, and why does it seem like the media environment is constantly dialed up to eleven?In this special crossover episode, David sits down with Michael Baranowski, host ...

June 24, 2026 • 40:06

90. Can You Build a Political Tribe Out of the Moderates Left Behind? – Paul Chapman

The U.S. House of Representatives used to pass roughly 900 bills per session in the 1950s. Today, that number has plummeted to just 50 or 60. Our legislative branch isn’t just slow—it is structurally paralyzed.In this episode, we look pa...

June 17, 2026 • Episode 90 • 29:58

DOCUMENTARY - When the State Loses Moral Legitimacy

We tend to think of a nation’s strength in concrete terms—the size of its military, the reach of its laws, or the stability of its economy. But this special audio documentary episode of Outrage Overload pulls back the curtain on the illusion of...

June 10, 2026 • 23:11

89. The Mentalization Gap - Lura Forcum

Why is it so easy to dismiss "the other side" as irrational or heartless? According to researcher Lura Forcum, the answer lies in a cognitive process called mentalization—and more importantly, what happens when our brains decide to turn ...

June 03, 2026 • Episode 89 • 32:04

88. The Cost of Purity and the Power of Pluralism – Allison K. Ralph

In this episode, we dive deep into the historical and psychological drivers of political polarization with Dr. Allison Ralph, head of Cohesion Strategy.Allison shares how ancient metaphors, like the "body politic," a...

May 20, 2026 • Episode 88 • 30:09