What is The Point of Rage Bait being the Word of the Year

Rage bait is the word of the year! And ironically, it is doing exactly what it stands for.

I mean, of all the words in the world, "rage bait" is chosen as a winner?

However, the words in the running were not much better either. Aura Farming and Bio Hack.

Okay, then. 

For those who are struggling to learn the internet lingo, aura farming means projecting an image of coolness or confidence.

Bio Hack is making small changes to your diet and lifestyle so that you feel better and work smarter.

And of course, word of the year, rage baiting means posting content online that enrages people to the point that they engage with the content just to show how angry they are.

You've been baited! 

It just goes to show how, over the years, marketing has taken such an ugly turn.

Prior to the rage bait era, people were usually compelled to click on articles if they thought it could help them, or motivate them, or at the very least, get them emotional.

Now it's a test about which buttons can be pushed to get you, a usually silent scroller, infuriated enough to finally click on a post and tell the world exactly how you feel.

And it works. 

The rage bait is now the best marketing technique there is online to get someone to engage with your posts.

The algorithm isn't studying if someone is leaving a positive or negative comment. They are looking at views and a number of comments. Your post is suddenly being ranked better, and all you had to do was piss off a few strangers online.

The most common rage baits are cooking recipes. 

Have you tried ice cream and noodles? Ethnic foods with a modern twist? Your beloved snacks served with a side of a mushy glop of something that used to be vegetables?

It seems the easiest way to get to someone is to go after their beloved food. The more cultural and ethnic the better. That's the easiest way to get a whole country to hate you for disrespecting their food.

Then there are the sports teams. Everyone has a favorite team. You may not watch sports, but deep inside, you've pledged your loyalty to either your country's national team or your favorite club. 

You're aimlessly scrolling when you come across a post degrading your favorite team. How dare they! You may not be the most loyal or patriotic person in the world, but that one single post that mocks your favorite team has awakened a sense of devotion you never knew you had.

You type a scathing comment. The OP (original poster) gives a nonchalant response. That does nothing to douse the fire inside of you. More barbs are posted. More apathy from the OP. After all, they got what they wanted from you: enough clicks to make their post popular, and if they are monetized, you just helped them earn some bucks.

So...what is the point of rage baiting?

The Point is to earn popularity and money, of course. In the online world, where thousands of people post and comment each day, the only way to stand out is to post something so controversial that people have no choice but to defend their personal opinions regarding it.

So, the next time you come across a scathing post that instigated, pause and think. Do you really want to be baited? 

Do you really want rage bait to be the word of the year next year as well?