Has there ever been a time when you were scrolling through social media and saw a video captioned “I cannot believe this happened!” You stay to watch and are suddenly hit with a flood of frustration and rage. Boom–just like that, you have taken the bait. 

Rage bait is a term hitting the internet by storm. But what is it? Rage bait is an internet slang term used to define the manipulative tactic of provoking strong, negative emotions, specifically anger, in order to increase internet traffic, engagement, and visibility. However, it goes beyond just social media. We see it all around us–in school, with friends, and even during family gatherings. 

Rage bait isn’t a new tactic. It derives from clickbait, which is content made to get people’s attention and make them want to click on it. Rage bait has been around for years, but it’s been more visible now, and students are starting to notice.

“Sometimes I see something so crazy I have to check the comments,” says Madison Mathias, a junior at Ludlow High School. “It’s not about agreeing but reacting. I’ve started to realize that’s exactly what the creator wants from us.” 

Madison Mathias is right. Rage bait isn’t about getting someone to agree with you. It is about getting you to engage and get a reaction out of you whether it be good or bad.

Kaitlin Bennett, famously known as “Gun Girl,” gained viewers after appearing on college campuses with firearms. Bennett would go around asking students politically charged questions, often baiting others into a heated argument on camera. The purpose of this you might ask? To go viral, and it works. People share her videos, repost them all over social media, expressing their outrage. Whether you agree or disagree with her, one thing is clear: you’re watching, and she’s winning. 

Bennett isn’t the only one making content off rage bait. Winta Zesu is a TikTok content creator and fashion model based in New York City. Her content often includes outrageous takes on topics like gender roles, relationships, and cultural identity. Zesu initially gained popularity due to her staged video of rejecting food at restaurants. 

“I get a lot of hate,” says WintaZesu to the BBC in an interview. “Every single video of mine has gained millions of views and hate comments.” 

The hate Winta Zesu is getting actually drives her content to be spread further, making her more money. When someone is outraged about her posts, they tend to leave a comment, share the link to her TikTok with friends, or even repost Zesu’s content. Now, many of her viewers tend to think she’s being extreme, and they’re probably right. But would that stop you from making money? 

Aston Hall is another example. He leans into satire and outrage to mock “woke culture.” He often says outrageous things just to see people lose their minds. Hall also films videos of himself getting ready for the day. One thing he does is grab a bowl, fill it up with an expensive bottle of water, and wash his face. His goal isn’t honesty, but its attention–and he gets just that. 

What do these creators have in common? They know how to push buttons. Your outrage boosts their content in the algorithm, making them famous and rich. They figured out rage spreads farther than reason. As long as people are reacting to their content, the rage bait will continue.

Not only are big influencers rage-baiting, but some students from Ludlow High School, both former and present, have admitted to doing it themselves. 

“I think my purpose, personally, for rage baiting is that I find it funny and get personal entertainment out of it,” said a fellow anonymous student at Ludlow High School, “At points, yes, I feel like I have rage-baited some people really badly. But sometimes it’s just pure honesty–I’m trying to get a point across and they get mad from it.” 

This student highlights that sometimes it is intentional, just to get a reaction for “fun,” but sometimes it’s just being blunt. The tricky part is knowing where the line is. Both trolling and honesty can be so similar online that once someone gets mad, the intention behind it doesn’t matter. When asked if they’ve gone too far, they added:

“Yeah, I have. I’ve recently had to deal with some consequences.” 

This is a reality. It can go too far, leading you to be the one taking the backlash in a way you might not have expected. 

Another student, Niko Coehlo, a former student of Ludlow High School, views rage bait as more of a casual game. 

“I rage bait because it’s entertaining and gives me something to do,” He said, “It’s entertaining watching someone freak out over the littlest thing because I’m just annoying them for no reason. I do feel bad depending on the person I rage bait, though. But most of the time, I get a good laugh. I do it as a joke more than just as a reason to get someone mad.” 

When asked about his opinion on creators who do it for money, Coelho said:

“I want their career. They’re getting paid to do something funny. I mean, I do feel bad for the people the creators are rage-baiting because they may not want that publicized, depending on how bad their freakout or raging is. But if it’s a friend doing it to a friend or family member, it’s more acceptable in my opinion.”

This casual attitude is part of the reason rage bait has grown rapidly. It is normalized. For most, it feels harmless. But is it really? 

Some may argue that there’s a difference between rage-baiting for fun and for harm. If you’re doing it to friends, you’re not the only one in on it. Everyone around you is, too. But if you’re targeting strangers online might be more harmless than you think. There are consequences that might result in your actions. 

To avoid taking the bait, here are a couple tips:

• Think before you react.
• Don’t give free engagement.
• Focus on content that builds, not breaks people. 

Rage bait isn’t going away anytime soon. But if we can acknowledge it, we can avoid it. 

Your mental health and anger is more valuable. Don’t waste it on something that doesn’t deserve it.