A series of eight studies revealed that social media virality amplifies societal threats, fueling moral panics and increasing expressions of outrage. This work was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The concept of “moral panics,” a term coined in the 1970s by sociologist Stanley Cohen to describe the societal outrage towards perceived threats like marijuana use or Rock and Roll music, has found a new breeding ground on social media platforms. These platforms amplify potential societal threats, leading to daily outrage over various issues, from economic collapse to c…