Is Online Moral Outrage Outrageous? Rethinking the Indignation Machine

Moral outrage is often characterized as a corrosive emotion, but it can also inspire collective action. In this article we aim to deepen our understanding of the dual nature of online moral outrage which divides people and contributes to inclusivist moral reform. We argue that the specifics of violating different types of moral norms will influence the effects of moral outrage: moral outrage against violating harm-based norms is less antagonistic than moral outrage against violating loyalty and purity/identity norms. We identify which features of social media platforms shape our moral lives. Connectivity, omniculturalism, online exposure, increased group identification and fostering what we call expressionist experiences, all change how moral outrage is expressed in the digital realm. Finally, we propose changing the design of social media platforms and raise the issue of moral disillusion when ample moral protest in the online environment does not have the expected effects on the offline world.

Automated summary

Moral outrage can be both corrosive and motivating, shaping collective action. This article explores the dual nature of online moral outrage, its impact on social divisions, and its contribution to inclusive moral reform. The authors argue that the violation of different types of moral norms elicit varying levels of antagonism, with harm-based norms being less antagonistic compared to loyalty and purity/identity norms. The article identifies the factors in social media platforms that influence moral outrage expression, such as connectivity, omniculturalism, online exposure, group identification, and expressionist experiences. Lastly, the authors propose redesigning social media platforms to address the issue of moral disillusionment when online moral protest fails to yield expected offline effects.