Social Media Tactics: The Impact of Rage Bait
In today's society, which is heavily influenced by social media, we often witness a concerning social media tactic – rage baiting. This manipulative strategy is designed to provoke emotions in the audience including anger and outrage.
In this blog we will explore rage bait and its impact on important social issues such as violence against women and girls (VAWG), as well as how we can reduce our exposure to this harmful content.
What Is Rage Baiting?
Rage baiting refers to a type of social media content deliberately created to provoke strong emotional reactions, particularly negative emotions like anger and outrage. The goal of this content is not to inform or promote healthy discussion, but to incite intense feelings that lead to conflicts and arguments in the online space.
A recent example of rage bait content would be social media influencer Bonnie Blue who went viral for her controversial comments including inflammatory statements about gender roles and dismissive remarks about the seriousness of violence against women and girls (VAWG). While these statements sparked outrage and heated debates online, they also drove massive engagement with her posts, benefiting her visibility and reach on social media platforms.
Why Is Rage Bait Increasingly Common?
This type of content thrives because it taps into our emotional instincts, compelling us to react, comment, and share - even if it’s to express disapproval.
This often generates higher engagement rates, which most social media platforms rely on to determine which content gets amplified. Creators and influencers exploit this by posting controversial, polarising, or inflammatory content that ensures their posts reach larger audiences.
For content creators, rage baiting offers quick visibility, increased follower counts, and often, financial rewards through ad revenue or sponsored posts. For platforms, it means users spend more time on their site, which translates to more advertising opportunities. In this race for attention, the quality and ethics of the content often take a back seat.
But while this may benefit content creators and platforms in the short term, it can have harmful consequences for consumers of social media.
The Impact of Rage Bait Content on Consumers
Consuming rage bait content is not harmless—it can have real, lasting effects on individuals and society.
Emotional Toll: Constant exposure to anger-inducing content can increase stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness. This cycle can affect mental health, leaving people emotionally drained.
Polarisation: Rage bait thrives on animosity, often creating societal divides. It reduces constructive dialogue and fuels hostility among users.
Desensitisation: Over time, repeated exposure to provocative content can desensitise people to serious social issues. For example, critical discussions around VAWG may be trivialised, dismissed as "just another debate," or drowned out by inflammatory content. This undermines advocacy efforts and can detract from the urgency needed to address systemic problems.
Undermining Credibility of Advocacy: When activists and organisations engage with rage bait, their efforts may be perceived as reactive rather than proactive. This can dilute the credibility of their message and shift the focus away from meaningful solutions to performative outrage.
How to Stop Seeing Rage Bait Content and Push It Out of Your Algorithm
Reducing exposure to rage bait is not only beneficial for your mental health but also deprives harmful content of its power. Here's how you can take control:
Be Mindful of Engagement: Avoid liking, sharing, or commenting on posts designed to provoke negative emotions. Engagement signals to algorithms that you find this content relevant, ensuring you see more of it.
Curate Your Feed: Use tools provided by social media platforms to hide or block content and unfollow accounts that regularly post inflammatory or harmful material. This trains the algorithm to prioritise more positive and informative content in your feed.
Engage with Constructive Content: Spend time engaging with posts and pages that promote thoughtful dialogue, educational resources, or supportive messages. By actively interacting with such content, you can shift your algorithm towards healthier and more empowering material.
Report Harmful Content: Most platforms have reporting features for content that violates community guidelines. Reporting posts can limit their reach and ensure they are reviewed for potential removal.
Limit Doom scrolling: Set boundaries for your time on social media and use digital wellbeing tools to monitor your screen time. Reducing exposure to social media itself can minimise encounters with rage bait content.
Educate Yourself and Others: Understanding how algorithms and rage bait work is empowering. Share this knowledge with friends and family so they, too, can be more mindful in their online interactions. Collective action can reduce the impact of these tactics on wider society.
By taking these steps, you contribute to a healthier digital ecosystem while protecting your own mental wellbeing and supporting efforts to combat issues like VAWG.