"That subject was equal parts contrarian and provocative, precisely composed to get readers' attention, even if they disagreed with its premise. Correction: especially if they disagreed with its premise. I could feel the blood rushing to my face before I'd even opened the email. And, just like that, I had experienced the very phenomenon that led Oxford University Press to name "rage bait" their Word of the Year for 2025."
""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." Grathwohl went on to compare this year's choice to its 2024 counterpart: brain rot. "[T]ogether, they form a powerful cycle where outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted," he explained."
Provocative subject lines and content increasingly trigger emotional responses designed to capture attention. Oxford University Press named "rage bait" Word of the Year for 2025 to reflect a dramatic surge in the term's usage. Oxford Languages' president described a shift from curiosity-driven clicks to emotional hijacking that manipulates how people respond. The 2025 shortlist included terms like "aura farming" and "biohack," linking online behavior and self-optimization trends. Oxford connected "rage bait" with 2024's "brain rot," describing a cycle where outrage drives engagement, algorithms amplify it, and continuous exposure causes mental exhaustion. Merriam-Webster's prior choice, "polarization," signals broader societal discontent.
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