The Aporia · The Data Center Backlash Is Just a New Moral Panic

The Data Center Backlash Is Just a New Moral Panic

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Goldberg, J. (2026, August 26). The Data Center Backlash Is Just a New Moral Panic. The Dispatch. https://thedispatch.com/article/data-centers-artificial-intelligence-moral-panic/

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Quick Summary

The article discusses a perceived moral panic surrounding data centers, with no specific source or context provided for what triggered this panic. The author references Stanley Cohen's 1972 book "Folk Devils and Moral Panics", which is often cited as a seminal work on the concept of moral panics. According to the author, a moral panic occurs when people overreact to a situation that doesn't warrant such concern. No specific data or statistics are mentioned in relation to the data center backlash.

Written by AI on 2026-08-26, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Stanley Cohen, a social scientist, coined the term "moral panic" in his 1972 book Folk Devils and Moral Panics. According to Cohen's definition, a moral panic occurs when many people become excessively alarmed or outraged about something that doesn't actually warrant their concern. This concept is being invoked by author Jonah Goldberg, who suggests that we are currently experiencing another moral panic, without specifying what the particular issue is.

Written for “Data Center Controversy” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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61/100

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The Dispatch · 404 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected

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2026-10-06

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Who wrote this

Jonah Goldberg

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