Where Are You in the Outrage Overload Listener Journey?

From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Mapping Your Outrage Journey. Plus The Pebble Effect and new This Week in Outrage episode

In today’s hyper-polarized media landscape, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by outrage, division, and negativity. At Outrage Overload, we explore how outrage media shapes our thinking and how we can break free from its grip. But just like any personal growth journey, the path to a healthier relationship with media and political discourse happens in phases.

I invite you to reflect on your own journey. Which phase resonates with you most?

Phase 1: Awareness

Symptoms:

• You’ve started noticing how outrage media affects your emotions and behavior.

• You feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or cynical about political discourse.

• You’re beginning to see how your media habits reinforce echo chambers.

Action Steps: ✅ Track your emotional reactions to political content for a week. ✅ Identify media sources that regularly trigger outrage. ✅ Listen to an Outrage Overload episode about the mechanics of outrage media.

• Outrage 52 – Nobody Wants to Be an Idiot – Andrew Selepak
  Are We Finally Sick of the Media Outrage Machine? – Examining how media manufactures outrage and whether people are getting tired of it.

• Outrage 59 – Outrage, Fear, and Perception: Understanding Cultivation Theory – James Shanahan
  How Media Shapes Reality – Discussing how long-term media exposure warps perceptions and fuels fear-based outrage.

• Outrage 43 – Enemy at First Sight: Decoding the Neural Shortcuts of Political Division – Carsten Sander
  How Our Brains Are Wired for Political Division – Examining how media exploits cognitive biases to drive outrage.

• Outrage 29 – This is Basically Trying to Avoid Civil War – Peter Coleman
  How Outrage Addiction Hijacked Our Conversations – A closer look at outrage addiction and its role in polarization.

For a more condensed look at this topic, check out these Outrage Science Bites episodes, which are typically 5-10 minutes long:

• Media's Role in Amplifying Outrage – How traditional media plays into outrage.

• Social Media's Impact – How algorithms fuel outrage.

• Outrage Porn – What it is and why it's so addictive.

• Disinformation and Outrage – How false information stokes the flames.

• Echo Chambers – How they amplify outrage.

• The Algorithmic Amplification of Outrage – How algorithms prioritize outrage-inducing content.

• The Role of Tech Giants in Polarization – How major tech companies contribute to the outrage culture.

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Phase 2: Detox & Recalibration

Symptoms:

• You’ve reduced engagement with inflammatory media but still feel withdrawal.

• You’re searching for ways to stay informed without constant outrage.

• Conversations with differing perspectives still feel uncomfortable.

Action Steps: ✅ Set time limits for social media and outrage-heavy news sources. ✅ Seek out news sources that prioritize depth over sensationalism. ✅ Engage with bridge-building content (like Outrage Overload guests discussing depolarization).

• Outrage Bonus – OMG, those other people are not insane – Lisa Swallow

  Why Crossing Party Lines is Essential for a Healthy Democracy

• Outrage 58 – The Truth Behind Political Division: Are We Really That Different? – James Coan

  How Correcting Misperceptions Can Heal Political Divides

• Outrage 54 – Civic Renewal: Fighting Polarization with Local Solutions That Work – Rich Harwood

  Why Building Together Is the Key to Healing Divided Communities

• Outrage 34 – It has to be person to person for it to mean anything – Luke Nathan Phillips

  How Braver Angels is Lowering the Temperature in Political Conversations

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Phase 3: Engagement with New Perspectives

Symptoms:

• You’re becoming more open to different viewpoints but sometimes feel defensive.

• You’re learning to recognize manipulative tactics in media messaging.

• You’re noticing when discussions become unproductive or toxic.

Action Steps: ✅ Practice active listening in political discussions. ✅ Follow someone with a different political viewpoint without engaging in debate. ✅ Take a media literacy challenge (e.g., fact-checking, analyzing headlines).

• Outrage 44 – Outrage Fatigue – Inoculating Our Minds Against Misinformation – Melanie Trecek-King
  How to Build Mental Immunity Against Misinformation and Conspiracies – Offering tools to resist manipulative media narratives.

• Outrage 014 – Erosion of trust in traditional media institutions – Lawrence Eppard

  How we can try to make sure news enlightens rather than enrages us

• Outrage 36 – It’s not as if there’s only certain types of people that are affected by this – Åsa Wikforss

  Why We Resist Facts & How to Fight Back!

• Outrage 50 – I got to the point where I just didn’t even want to consume the news anymore – Julie Rose

  Why Embracing Complexity and Nuance is Critical for Personal Growth and Informed Decision-Making

• Outrage 55 – Surviving the Age of Misinformation – David Helfand

  How to Survive the Age of Misinformation

Here’s some short-form Outrage Science Bites episodes that cover media literacy:

• Information Literacy – Combatting disinformation and improving our media consumption.

• Disinformation and Outrage – How false information stokes the flames.

• The Cynicism Trap: How Distrust Is Destroying Our Confidence in Everything – How media and disinformation fuel societal distrust.

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Phase 4: Sustained Mindful Engagement

Symptoms:

• You feel less emotionally hijacked by outrage-driven content.

• You engage in political discussions with curiosity instead of anger.

• You’ve become a resource for others looking to lower the temperature in discourse.

Action Steps: ✅ Share depolarizing strategies with friends and family. ✅ Support and engage with constructive media projects. ✅ Join a community or initiative that fosters dialogue across differences.

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Where Are You in the Journey?

I’d love to hear from you! What phase do you think you’re in? Have you taken any action steps to move forward? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out in email or social media. Your journey is part of the bigger conversation about reducing toxic polarization and reclaiming thoughtful, meaningful dialogue.

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Bonus Episode: The Pebble Effect – How Small Actions Create Big Ripples

In this special bonus episode of Outrage Overload, I share a simple yet powerful ritual that helps me stay grounded and intentional about the impact I create each week. Originally recorded for What’s Your Ripple?, this conversation with JJ Holley—retired Air Force Major and founder of Ripple Retreat—explores how small actions shape our lives and communities.

We dive into the power of reflection, why stillness amplifies our impact, and how JJ is turning his vision into reality with Ripple Retreat, a community-focused, alcohol-free event space.

What ripples are you making in your own life?

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New This Week in Outrage Episode!

It’s everything the Outrage Overload podcast is not. It’s not edited. It’s not scripted. It’s lightly researched. It’s David and Lisa talking about this week in outrage, what was in the news, in the memes, and maybe finding some backstory with a humorous (at least to us) twist.