Rage Farming/Baiting? That's A Thing?
"Rage farming" sure is a thing. From Wikipedia:
Rage farming or rage baiting is internet slang that refers to a manipulative tactic to elicit outrage with the goal of increasing internet traffic, online engagement, revenue and support. Rage baiting or farming can be used as a tool to increase engagement, attract subscribers, followers, and supporters which can be financially lucrative. Rage baiting and rage farming manipulates users to respond in kind to offensive, inflammatory headlines, memes, tropes, or comments.
Rage-farming, which has been cited since at least January 2022, is an offshoot of rage-baiting where the outrage of the person being provoked is farmed or manipulated into an online engagement by rage-seeding that helps amplify the message of the original content creator. It has also been used as a political tactic at the expense of one's opponent.
... As politicians increase rage farming against their political and ideological opponents, they attract more followers online, some of whom may engage in offline violence, including verbal violence and acts of intimidation. Wesley describes how those engaged in rage farming combine half-truths with "blatant lies."
I completely agree that the Wiki author called out the right wing in the above quote. Even so, the left wing, media outlets, and everyday Americans are all good at rage-farming/baiting. It seems most of us, I hope I am wrong, are blind to how we allow people/circumstances to enrage us so we can be "farmed" (manipulated) by those willing to exploit us to do their bidding.
Why?
Has that always been the case? Rage farming has been a natural part of human communication to try to manipulate others easily throughout time. Its appeal to the exploiter is they know they are getting away with manipulating people to do their will and profiting from it. For the exploited, the appeal may be the rush of adrenaline when outrage/rage is triggered and a feeling of belonging to a righteous group or belief.
And, from personal experience, self-righteousness is a great fertilizer for a bumper crop of rage to farm.
It is a natural part of the ego to think we are above that or deny the power of exploitive negative energy to influence us. No one is above allowing others to exploit us when we don't realize we are being exploited. They earn money per click, per watched minute, advertisers, and merchandise. What do we get? A shot of adrenaline and new gossip to repeat as fact.
If information is power, this type of information has as much substantive value as cotton candy. Here's a big ol' ball of rage, and ::: POOF ::: tasted great for a news cycle or two but absolutely lacked any real value.
Anger informs but is a cruel taskmaster when it starts to direct. Anger is very real, but it is very our own. I guess the trick is to own my anger, find out what is behind it, and direct my energy in a way that is true to my experience, goals, healing, or whatever, as long as it is honest and the intent is toward what is good personally and sometimes for the greater good.
Personal anger unchecked (unrealized, not taking responsibility) easily turns into rage. An enraged person rarely sees life through the lens of clarity, even when their underlying premise is true.
I must be more careful about allowing headlines, talking points of the day, or my favorite pundits to lead me toward rage and action steps as a result.