Outrage Overload: Finding calm through science and balanced perspectives
If you're angry, frustrated, or scared about the state of politics and media and looking for thoughtful, balanced discussions, this podcast is for you. About 30 minutes every few weeks. It will change your life.
Outrage Overload explores the extreme polarization and political bias dominating politics and media today. We dive into the anger and outrage that drive divisions between people, distort the news, and fuel political violence. Each episode features leading scientists, researchers, authors, and community leaders tackling topics like outrage fatigue, toxic polarization, extremism, healthy conflict, disinformation, social media's role in outrage, and the influence of technology and artificial intelligence.
Join us to rediscover humanity in your rivals, improve your mental health, and find practical strategies to feel less stressed and more in control in a world fueled by outrage.
Outrage Overload: Finding calm through science and balanced perspectives
44. Outrage Fatigue - Inoculating Our Minds Against Misinformation - Melanie Trecek-King
How to Build Mental Immunity Against Misinformation and Conspiracies
We sit down with science educator Melanie Trecek-King to explore how critical thinking can help us navigate an age dominated by misinformation, outrage fatigue, and polarized media. Together, we uncover strategies for building mental immunity and strengthening cognitive resilience against the emotional manipulation of engagement-driven algorithms on social media. Listeners will learn how to evaluate evidence, recognize the signs of distorted news, and uncover their own cognitive biases—essential skills for reclaiming trust and credibility in a world where media outrage often drowns out rational dialogue.
Melanie also shares inspiring stories from her platform, highlighting the transformative impact of science literacy and practical tools for cultivating a healthier relationship with information. This episode offers actionable insights for tackling the mental and emotional toll of misinformation while empowering you to rise above the noise of political bias and media distortion. Whether you’re striving to build resilience against emotional triggers, reduce the influence of social media hype, or better understand the psychological forces fueling extreme polarization, this conversation will leave you equipped to think critically and engage thoughtfully, online and off.
Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/
Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.
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Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.
