"The term, which has tripled in usage in the last 12 months, according to the dictionary publisher, refers to "online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media content"."
"Oxford University Press noted the term was first used "online in a posting on Usenet in 2002 as a way to designate a particular type of driver reaction to being flashed at by another driver requesting to pass them, introducing the idea of deliberate agitation"."
"As technology and artificial intelligence become ever more embedded into our daily lives - from deepfake celebrities and AI-generated influencers to virtual companions and dating platforms - there's no denying that 2025 has been a year defined by questions around who we truly are; both online and offline. 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."
Rage bait refers to online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive. Usage of the term has tripled in the last 12 months. Oxford University Press noted the term originated online in a Usenet posting in 2002 describing a driver reaction and introducing the idea of deliberate agitation. Rage bait was selected as Oxford Word of the Year 2025, beating aura farming and bio hack, with a public vote contributing to the decision. Oxford's president linked the surge to concerns about technology and AI reshaping attention and emotional manipulation online. The shift signals a move from curiosity-driven clicks to emotion-driven engagement.
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