"Rage bait, of course, is the tactic of purposely posting rage-inducing things just to garner attention or engagement, for fun and/or profit (Rage bait is an online-only term; saying unnecessarily provocative things in real life is just being an a-hole.) Ideally, a rage bait post is something you don't even really believe - you're just posting it to stir the pot and elicit a response."
"I was all in on rage baiting in the fall of 2024 on Threads. I had discovered that the algorithm of the nascent platform tended to favor content that got a lot of replies, and the easiest way to get a ton of replies was to say something so objectionably stupid and awful that strangers couldn't help but yell at me in the replies."
Oxford University Press named 'rage bait' the 2025 Word of the Year, narrowly beating 'aura farming' and 'biohack.' Rage baiting refers to deliberately posting provocative, rage-inducing content to attract attention, engagement, or profit, often without genuine belief. The term applies to online behavior; comparable real-life provocation is labeled differently. Some creators exploited platform algorithms—such as Threads in fall 2024—that rewarded posts with many replies, producing intentionally inflammatory posts to maximize replies. Examples include claims that teachers should buy school supplies and staged TikTok gift videos. The recommendation is to reduce rage baiting and favor earnest posting through at least 2027.
Read at Business Insider
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