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.

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Also check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites.

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

Outrage Overload, a Conners Institute podcast, ...