How Outrage Became the Internet’s Currency

Quick Overview

The currency of the internet is outrage, driven by content that exploits our inherent human wiring for negativity, which means that social media algorithms actively promote polarizing, harmful, and fear-inducing content, as research shows only a very small percentage of users share toxic content, yet this content captures the vast majority of engagement, leading to a negative societal shift where even bipartisan issues become polarized.

Key Points: Internet content that generates outrage, fear, or moral-emotional reaction goes viral because social media algorithms prioritize engagement over accuracy or positivity. Research indicates only about 3% of Reddit users share toxic content, but this content accounts for roughly 33% of shared content, demonstrating its outsized impact. The polarizing content being amplified is the exact opposite of what people want, such as accurate, positive, or uplifting information. The prevalence of outrage online is compared to the tobacco industry lawsuits, where the harm was known but regulations were slow; here, the harm to mental health and democracy is known, but algorithms continue to promote the harmful content. A survey showed that 90%+ of Americans agree on certain issues, but the content they see online is highly skewed toward the small percentage driving political polarization. States implementing smartphone bans in schools and some Democrats and Republicans are showing bipartisan support for making algorithms more transparent. The phenomenon driving viral toxic content is termed the 'paradox of virality' because the content that generates the most engagement is often what people least want to see.

Context: This discussion features Andrew Yang alongside two other guests, one of whom references findings from a book titled 'The Power of Us' by Jay Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer. The conversation centers on the structure and incentives of social media platforms, specifically how algorithmic amplification of negative, emotionally charged, or polarizing content shapes public discourse and societal outcomes, contrasting this with what the general population actually desires.