hackertube.io

Can You Watch This Without Getting Angry?

CGP Grey · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Internet culture & memesPsychology & human behaviorFuturism & technology and society

What it is

CGP Grey explains how ideas spread like germs, and why content that triggers outrage spreads fastest, using a study on what makes online content viral. He argues that opposing outrage-driven memes feed each other.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN links it constantly in threads on social media, polarization and outrage as the canonical explanation of why angry content wins.

  • 6 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2015, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “(Yes, I link this often, because the message is valuable.)”

    How outrage is used to exploit people through social media.

    stcredzero, 2018-05 · Strong recommendation · in “How Social Media Exploits Our Moral Emotions”

  2. “I really liked "This Video Will Make You Angry" by CGP Grey.”

    Thoughts as germs competing for attention, thriving on us/them arguments.

    elisee, 2015-07 · Recommendation · in “Your Head as a Battleground, Dueling Memes”

  3. “which says that outraged ideas are the quickest to spread.”

    Outraged ideas spread quickest.

    sosuke, 2016-12 · Recommendation · in “Dear JavaScript”

  4. “CGPGrey has a great description of this problem”

    Low-effort strawmen of opposing tribes are attractive, contagious memes.

    dwaltrip, 2018-08 · Recommendation · in “Mastodon Is Better Than Twitter: Elevator Pitch”

  5. “completely agree with its premise.”

    Premise on anonymous speech and outrage resonates.

    ipython, 2019-03 · Recommendation · in “Facebook failed to block 20% of uploaded New Zealand shooter videos”

  6. “For one particular perspective on this, I enjoyed - relevant stuff starts around 3 minutes in.”

    Symbiotic memes spread by inspiring rage against each other.

    dllthomas, 2022-08 · Recommendation · in “After 50 years, Michael Heizer is finally ready to unveil City, his life's work”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: memes, social media, outrage, virality, polarization

Also recommended by the same people