The 21st Show

Best of: New study finds people overestimate online outrage

 
Hands are placed directly above keyboard, ready to type.

A woman types on a laptop while on a train in New Jersey, May 18, 2021. A new study from Northwestern University examined whether people expressing anger on social media were as upset as they professed to be in their posts. Jenny Kane/AP, file

Some reactions to controversy on social media can seem passionate, if not extreme. But a 2023 study from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management suggests that people on the internet are not as angry as they seem.

The 21st was joined by the professor who led the study.

A version of this conversation was first broadcast April 24, 2023.

GUEST:

William Brady

Assistant Professor, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

 

 

Prepared for web by Owen Henderson

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