Outrage Machine

An invaluable guide to understanding the technology that captures attention with anger. The original internet was not designed to make us upset, distracted, confused, and outraged. But at the turn of the last decade, a few small features were quietly launched at social media companies, triggering dramatic changes to how media, politics, and society operate — creating an Outrage Machine. This book shares the defining shifts caused by these technologies and how they have ignited a society-wide crisis of trust. Drawing from research and personal anecdotes, it illustrates how social media has bound us to an unprecedented system of public performance, training us to react rather than reflect, and attack rather than debate. It reveals the triggers and tactics used to exploit our anger, unpacking how these tools hack our tribal instincts and vulnerabilities, becoming platforms for opportunism and threats to democratic norms. The book also explores how each new media technology disrupts our understanding of the world, from the printing press to radio and television, situating social media within a historical cycle of confusion, violence, and emerging tolerance. Using clear language and illustrations, it highlights the challenges we face while offering realistic solutions and pathways forward.