Social media is making you angry on purpose, and you keep falling for it

Rage bait is effective because it taps into fundamental aspects of human psychology. Negative emotions like anger or outrage tend to elicit stronger and more immediate reactions compared to positive emotions. Mehezabin Dordi, clinical psychologist at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital explains this as “Psychologically speaking, this is due to the negativity bias, where negative experiences and information have a greater impact on an individual’s psychological state and processes.”

What are the negative effects of a person constantly interacting with rage-bait content?

“Repeated engagement with such content can have negative psychological effects, including increased stress, anxiety, and a pervasive sense of negativity.” says Dordi. These psychological effects can be detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health. Moreover, once a person starts interacting with rage-bait, their algorithm will constantly expose them to more anger-inducing material, preventing them from achieving a more balanced and positive online experience.

A balanced and positive online experience can promote your health. (Source: Freepik)

Does the ease of rage-bait content indicate a rise in anger issues in the audiences?

Not necessarily. The widespread presence of rage bait content might give the impression that anger problems are on the rise among audiences, but that is not the case. Dordi says, “Instead, it suggests that social media platforms are becoming more adept at exploiting existing emotional responses for engagement.”

Is the feeling of satisfaction or fulfillment by interaction with this content healthy for the individual?

While interacting with rage bait content might provide an immediate sense of relief or catharsis as individuals express their anger or disapproval, it is unlikely to lead to long-term fulfillment or satisfaction. Instead the negative psychological effects discussed earlier are far more pervasive for an individual.