Overthinking About Ragebait

Overthinking About Ragebait

From Magical Overthinkers by Amanda Montell & Studio71

November 26, 2025 · 46 min · Episode 40

About this episode

Amanda Montell and guest Lee C. Camp discuss the phenomenon of ragebait and its impact on society.

Why does it feel like every time we open our phones, something is begging us to get angry? This week, just in time for Thanksgiving, host Amanda is joined by theologian, ethics professor, and No Small Endeavor host Lee C. Camp (@leeccamp) to overthink about ragebait; the outrage optimized content designed to divide us, drain us, and keep us doomscrolling. Together, they explore how polarization has turned irritation into entertainment, why we’re so easily pulled into cycles of collective fury, and the surprising antidotes. A reflective spiral about anger, attention, and the radical act of meeting each other beyond the algorithm. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at⁠ https://SHOPIFY.COM/magical⁠ - Join the "Magical Overthinkers Club" by following the pod on Instagram @magicaloverthinkers. - To access early, ad-free episodes and more, subscribe to the Magical Overthinkers Substack. - Pick up a hard copy of Amanda's book The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, or listen to the audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Amanda Montell

Guest: Lee C. Camp

Topics covered

  • ragebait
  • outrage culture
  • polarization
  • collective anger
  • social media
  • ethics

Keywords

  • ragebait
  • outrage
  • polarization
  • doomscrolling
  • anger
  • attention
  • social media

Sponsors

SHOPIFY

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: No Small Endeavor

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