To Rage Bait or Not to Rage Bait?

Everything is bad. Really bad. And what’s worse is that we feel like we can’t do anything about it. We can’t seem to hold forces that be to account, but the anger can’t just linger inside of us forever. Insert social media. Across apps we’ve resorted to designating a person who, on any given scroll, can stand in as a receptacle for our collective anguish. There are accounts solely dedicated to enacting infuriating scenarios, 20-something year old influencers, laid-off workers, and people bringing us along for their luxury shopping sprees as we freefall further into economic chaos. And the comments are filled, the stitches are plentiful, and the cycle repeats day after day after day after day.

Rage bait is defined as content that is deliberately created to spark outrage. You know it’s a weird world when so many of us have gone from fearing cancellation to downright chasing controversy. Maybe the rush of anger makes us feel alive. Maybe any attention feels like a win in the vast sea of never-ending streams of content. Maybe we have no idea why or how we got caught up in this cycle. Either way, it begs the question, does ragebait work? 

The answer is a resounding yes…but there are some caveats. Producing intentional rage bait content is a popular, and potentially lucrative, strategy for the most cynical amongst us. You can certainly run the numbers up, but it’s far from an exercise in sustainable brand building. For people who actually have something to say, a purpose, or a strong moral compass, trafficking in vitriol is not where you want to be. But you still have to compete, neutrality simply can’t be your primary mechanism for stopping the scroll.

We challenge you to think of rage as an entry point rather than a destination. Going back to where we started, there is SO much to be angry about. Talking about it is actually important and helps us to connect, deconstruct, and even understand each other better. Showcasing your righteous frustration can attract the right people, but it’s where you take them next that really matters. When we see rage as cathartic rather than purely opportunistic, it can serve as a valuable hook and entry point to bring audiences into the online world you are building. You can dabble in the rage bait cycle of doom, but you don’t need to spin around in it.