ragebait

Definitions

Content that intentionally provokes anger or fear in order to increase viewership or interaction.

Internet, countable, uncountable

Equivalents

2 more languages

Suomiragebaitti

ქართულირეიჯბეითისიბრაზის სატყუარა

Examples

“Holonym: outrage culture”

“Near-synonym: outrage porn”

“Even before I spoke with the political scientists, Nerst contended that a better understanding of today’s online argumentation would help⟳ people cope with its excesses. “Most people really are tired of shouting matches and want⟳ more nuance (according to surveys etc.),” he wrote to me, “and I hope⟳ we will develop⟳ some cultural immunity towards ragebait and hyperzealotry soon. […]””

“Donald Trump and Republicans understand⟳ this potent combination of content creation and shamelessness. Whether it’s weekend tweets by the president or Rudy Giuliani’s constant availability to journalists and Fox News hosts, Trumpists flood⟳ the zone with misinformation or ragebait.”

“Beware ragebait, social media that traffic in fear. Does that Facebook post⟳ make⟳ your blood boil? Or does it make⟳ you fearful of the future? Those are two of the reddest flags out there. But there are more.”

“On any given day, those who get⟳ their news from the loudest voices on the right—Sean Hannity, Rush⟳ Limbaugh, Breitbart News—are bombarded with partisan propaganda, conspiracy theories, and cynical rage-bait.”

“The whole thing sounds Trumpian because it is. The Trump campaign was unabashed in 2016 and beyond about its plan⟳ to “flood⟳ the zone” with garbage or ragebait. The strategy worked in part because it engaged and energized his base⟳.”

“So what, precisely, is the new Trump campaign leadership going to do differently? Is there some brilliant stratagem just waiting to be discovered and executed? ¶ Of course not. They’ll keep⟳ pumping out those Facebook ads, which will bombard voters who already support⟳ him with endless ragebait.”

CEFR level