Why the Age of Outrage is diluting the #MeToo movement

Claire Lehmann, editor of online publication Quilette, tells Charles Wooley the ‘Age of Outrage’ can be linked to “incentivising the display of victimhood” – where individuals are outraged on behalf of another person whose identity group they relate to.

Claire believes that social media movements such as the #MeToo campaign are actually diluted through this behaviour.

To watch 'Age of Outrage' in full, see links below:

To slightly bastardise that famous Hollywood line: Australians are as mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore! The feeling is amplified by social media which is giving instant – and deafening – voice to our outrage. On Facebook and Twitter it seems there’s a lot that we’re angry about, and we’ve become very accurate when we spit our venom. For proof, hashtag Malcolm Turnbull or Peter Dutton. Even Charles Wooley knows what it’s like to cop the public’s wrath. Earlier this year on 60 MINUTES he dared to describe the New Zealand Prime Minister as “attractive”. As a result of the backlash he now wonders if we’ve gone too far and asks, is getting high on hate killing free speech? 

Reporter: Charles Wooley 

Producer: Bryce Corbett