03/05/2026
How Social Media Can Work Us Up
Even if you don't know the term, if you're a social media user, it's quite likely you have been "rage baited." According to Oxford University Press, rage bait is defined as "online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive."
Such content is typically posted in order to increase traffic to websites or social media accounts. It is similar to "clickbait," where a headline is used to lure a reader in to view an article or video. "The fact that the word rage bait exists and has seen such a dramatic surge in usage means we're increasingly aware of the manipulation tactics we can be drawn into online," said Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages. "Before, the internet was focused on grabbing our attention by sparking curiosity in exchange for clicks, but now we've seen a dramatic shift to it hijacking and influencing our emotions, and how we respond."
Good things we have our RI tools to use! If you find yourself worked up over social media, some useful tools might be:
"We can't control our outer environment."
"Every act of self-control produces a sense of self-respect."
"If we can't change a situation, we can change our attitude toward it."
Need more help? Join an RI Meeting! - https://bit.ly/3WzdkyB
