If you’ve been tuning into Outrage Overload, you know we are constantly pulling back the curtain on how our media, algorithms, and political systems weaponize our emotions to keep us angry. Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Aran Brifkani on The Political Game podcast for an episode titled: “Who Profits When Americans Hate Each Other? Outrage, AI, Algorithms & Political Division.”

It was a fantastic, deep-dive conversation, and I wanted to share some of the core takeaways with you and encourage you to give the full episode a listen.

During my chat with Aran, we tackled the heavy reality of the current American landscape. Political disagreement has escalated far beyond healthy democratic debate—it’s actively breaking apart families, friendships, and communities.

I describe our current environment as an “information civil war.” While we aren’t at the historical extremes of the 1860s yet, we are heading down a incredibly dangerous path. The warning signs of a systemic breakdown are flashing red.

We also dive deep into the tools of emotional manipulation, looking at how “outrage” acts as a blanket term for fear and self-righteousness. Fear lowers our critical thinking, driving emotional reactions that trigger a dopamine hit when we “win” a social media argument. It leaves us fearful and frustrated in the long term, but we keep coming back for more.

The good news? We aren’t helpless. Aran and I spent a lot of time discussing practical strategies you can use right now to lower the temperature and protect your peace of mind.

You can also listen on your favorite podcast app.