The Hidden Power of Social Norms

Social media often gets blamed for fueling outrage and deepening political divides. But what if the very tools that spread division could be used to bridge it?

In this episode, we talk with Kristin Hansen, Executive Director of Civic Health Project, about Normsy.ai—a groundbreaking initiative using human-plus-AI tools to foster civility and connection online.

Kristin shares her personal journey into bridge-building, why social norms matter just as much as rules, and how we can all play a part in reshaping the online world for the better.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

What Happens When Students Talk Across Generations?

We sit down with with Dr. June Klees, a historian and educator at Bay College, about the Waging Dialogue initiative — a unique civics program designed to help students develop the confidence and skills to engage in dialogue across generational and ideological divides. Students are paired with older conversation partners in what’s called an “intergenerational dyad,” encouraging sustained, intentional conversations that challenge assumptions, stretch comfort zones, and build common ground.

You’ll also hear directly from students reflecting on their personal experiences, growth, and takeaways from the program.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

The unsettling story of a small-town mom whose life takes a shocking turn after an ATM robbery. What begins as a simple warning to her neighbors on Nextdoor—a platform meant to foster community—spirals into a chaotic blend of victim blaming, political division, and social media-fueled outrage.

We explore how engagement-driven algorithms and the tendency to distort events for partisan purposes amplify anger and division, even in what should be supportive spaces. This episode sheds light on the broader dynamics of how outrage spreads through platforms designed to connect us, the psychological toll on individuals caught in these digital firestorms, and the impact on trust within local communities.

By examining this real-life incident, we also reflect on the ways media hype, political bias, and the hunger for extreme reactions shape our perceptions of safety, justice, and one another. What happens when we stop seeing each other as neighbors and start viewing everything through a lens of anger, difference, and conflict?

Join us for this poignant look at the intersection of mental health, social media dynamics, and the erosion of civility. If you’ve ever wondered how our digital lives fuel political fights, distort the news, and make us feel more divided than ever, this episode is for you.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

The Connection Opportunity Report: Hope, Barriers, and the Path Forward

How can we truly connect across political, racial, religious, and class divides? In this episode of Outrage Overload, host David Beckemeyer dives into the Connection Opportunity report from More in Common with guests Kate Carney and Calista Small.

Discover:
✅ Why most Americans still want connection—even across differences
✅ The biggest barriers keeping us apart
✅ How working together locally can overcome political tensions
✅ Digital tools and organizations fostering healthy dialogue
✅ Practical steps anyone can take to help build a culture of connection

Kate and Calista share surprising insights from one of the most comprehensive studies on social cohesion and offer hope and actionable ideas for bridging divides in our communities.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

Is democracy failing because citizens aren’t truly thinking through the issues?

In this episode, we hear from Prof. James Fishkin, Stanford scholar and creator of Deliberative Polling, a groundbreaking method used around the world to reveal what people would think if they had the chance to deliberate in depth.

Fishkin explains why deliberation is about more than civil conversation. It’s about helping ordinary people make better decisions on complex policy questions. Discover how projects like America in One Room prove citizens can engage thoughtfully, bridge divides, and shape smarter policies.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

War, political chaos, economic fears, AI disruption—the world feels like it’s on fire. And the media? It never stops pouring fuel on the flames.

In this final chapter of the Outrage on the Mic series, we explore how outrage has become the currency of media—from the fiery sermons of Father Coughlin to the viral rants of today’s podcasters and political pundits.

Why does outrage work so well? Can creators build something different in a world addicted to anger and fear? And what does it look like to choose nuance over noise—even when it costs you clicks?

Hear from voices who are resisting the outrage machine and learn why rage sells…but we don’t have to buy it.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

In Part 2 of our special series Outrage on the Mic, we go back in time to explore how public outrage has shaped societies long before the digital age. David Beckemeyer is joined by Outrageous History! host Ernest Granson, who brings his journalist’s eye to scandals, uprisings, and media-fueled conflicts from the French Revolution to the Spanish-American War.

Whether you're a history nerd, media critic, or just trying to make sense of today’s outrage culture, this episode is for you.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

Outrage Overload x Outrage Factory

This week, we kick off our special July series, Outrage on the Mic, with a fun and irreverent crossover featuring the hosts of Outrage Factory—Dale Deruiter and Geoff Gauthier.

We explore the absurdity of online outrage, how humor can both defuse and amplify it, and what it means to build a show around the week’s most ridiculous controversies.

This is Part 1 of our Outrage on the Mic series, where we partner with fellow podcasters to explore how different voices and formats tackle outrage culture.
➡️ Part 2 drops July 9 with Outrageous History
➡️ Part 3 lands July 16 with a special reflection on “rage-as-a-growth-strategy” in media

🎙️ Guests:
Dale Deruiter & Geoff Gauthier – Outrage Factory podcast

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

Why is it so hard to have civil conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? And can we break through the outrage culture, media tribalism, and polarization that dominate today’s discourse?

In this episode, we talk with Adam Boaz Becker, founder of Headon.AI, an AI platform designed to foster political dialogue and bridge divides. Adam shares what he's learned from years of street interviews in Israel and the West Bank, the challenges of creating conversations in conflict zones, and how social media and traditional media often make things worse.

We also explore how AI might help us talk across divides, and why simply seeking common ground might not be the solution—sometimes, peaceful coexistence is powerful enough.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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

Exploring Democratic Erosion and the Rise of Authoritarian Tactics

Is the U.S. Sliding Toward Competitive Authoritarianism? Political scientist Lucan Way joins us to discuss signs of democratic erosion, competitive authoritarianism, and the weaponization of institutions. Drawing from his co-authored New York Times essay, “How Will We Know When We Have Lost Our Democracy?”, Way explains how democratic backsliding may already be underway—and why recognizing it matters now more than ever.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

Support the show

Show Notes:
https://outrageoverload.net/

Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email [email protected]. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

HOTLINE: 925-552-7885

Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episode

If you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.

Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverload

Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

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