I'm on twitter, I'm on HN, I read the news. I see some outrage, but I wouldn't qualify it as 'mass-produced' or 'engineered'. I see things like migrant detenti

I'm on twitter, I'm on HN, I read the news. I see some outrage, but I wouldn't qualify it as 'mass-produced' or 'engineered'. I see things like migrant detention, police shootings, discrimination against minorities (and especially the targeting of trans people), climate change, etc. Those things get a response on the internet, sure, and some folks are outraged over them. But calling it 'mass produced' and 'engineered' is the same thing as saying they are 'virtue signaling'. You are saying, "Those people don't have genuinely held opinions." Implicit in that you are saying, "... but I do." Additionally, outrage serves a really important role in our democracy. It is a critical tool that can be used to address injustice. It's not the only tool, obviously, but it is an important component in raising the voice of those who are the bottom of our society. Many of us live in relative wealth and comfort and wouldn't otherwise be made aware of how bad it is for the poorest among us without outrage. It's definitely not the only tool. We should also be engaging in debate and advocacy and charity and organizing, etc. But calling for the elimination of outrage is calling for the silencing of voices that have no other means to effectively engage with the system.