Viral restaurant act that has enraged thousands: 'Consumed by anger'

Open the comment section of any viral post on TikTok, and you’ll notice one common sentiment — people are angry. Whether it’s a heated debate on a certain topic or a pile-on from those sharing their unsolicited opinion, the immediacy of social media has led to platforms like these becoming a public forum for people to release their emotions; namely anger.

But there’s actually a strategic reason why you might be feeling a strong sense of outrage coming across certain videos online. And it all comes down to ‘rage bait’ - something that we can't seem to stop engaging with, even though it is likely causing us harm.

MVS Psychology director Max von Sabler told Yahoo Lifestyle that engaging with rage bait and allowing ourselves to be "consumed by anger" can have detrimental effects on our mental and physical health saying, “Constantly carrying around anger can lead to heightened stress levels, which are linked to a range of health issues such as hypertension, cardiovascular problems, and a weakened immune system."

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He also noted that “Psychologically, it can increase feelings of irritability, anxiety, and even lead to depression over time.”

What is rage bait?

Rage bait isn't a new concept per se — digital creators have long baited viewers with controversial or post-ironic content with the sole purpose of eliciting a reaction, hence increasing engagement (think back to clickbait content in the early days of YouTube, or when the term ‘trolling’ first came about).

A popular example of a rage bait content creator is TikToker Winta Zesu, who has hundreds of viral videos on her page where she’s seen engaging in public disputes with off-screen restaurant servers.

In these posts, Zesu often appears disconcerted and stubborn, making impossible requests of the waiter – naturally fuelling outrage among hundreds of irked commenters.

Another TikToker by the username @joannamiss2 has also elicited rage for her videos where she packs egg salad sandwiches to take to unusual places — including a friend’s birthday at a fancy restaurant; the cinema; and even the Bahamas.

While the videos are clearly satirical, they never fail to produce hundreds of angry comments.

Why are we addicted to rage bait?

Von Sabler explained to Yahoo Lifestyle that rage bait videos actually tap into a fundamental aspect of human psychology — the need for emotional engagement.

“Anger, being a high arousal emotion, has a way of capturing our attention more effectively than neutral or even positive content,” he notes. “This is rooted in our evolutionary history, where recognising and responding to threats was crucial for survival.

“In the digital age, this manifests as a kind of digital ‘fight-or-flight’ response, where the anger provoked by these videos draws us in and keeps us engaged.”

In times of social and political upheaval, social media platforms also provide a sort of outlet for people to express their frustration.

“The immediate and visceral nature of social media interactions also encourages quick, emotional responses rather than thoughtful consideration,” von Sabler adds.

What do trolls actually get out of posting rage bait?

Despite the obvious reason behind influencers posting rage bait content for views, there’s also plenty of rage bait across the internet posted by anonymous users or those without any kind of social following. Think of the clearly hyperbolic or fake ‘Am I The Asshhole?’ posts on Reddit, for example.

Another more recent example was when someone shared a photo to X of a Bluey tattoo with a caption that elicited outrage from parents across social media.

“New ink … hurt like heck but it’s healing like heaven,” @josiahhughes wrote in the post. “But … to any breeders out there, please stop your little seed spawns from talking to me about it? It’s giving me the ick.”

However several commenters were quick to point out that the tattoo was likely fake and posted with a provocative caption for the sole purpose of inciting rage. It was later revealed that the image was actually identical to a photo shared by someone else on Facebook three years ago.

Dr Jennifer Beckett, University of Melbourne Senior Lecturer of Culture and Communication and expert in social media and trolling, says these types of rage baiters are likely posting purely for personal entertainment purposes — and because they “get a thrill out of making other people angry”.

When it comes to online trolls, she says their motive often comes from the psychological personality theory known as the Dark Tetrad, which consists of four sub-clinical traits: machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. “They’re getting what you call ‘narcissistic supply’,” Dr Beckett notes.

Put simply, narcissistic supply is where people with narcissistic traits look to others to fuel their own self-esteem and ego, hence providing their supply of attention.

“The whole point is getting a reaction because it’s entertaining for them,” Dr Beckett explains. “For someone who is a narcissistic, or psychopath, or sadist, it doesn’t matter whether the attention is positive or negative, it’s all attention to them, even if they’ve posted anonymously.

“They're putting stuff out there in the hopes people will take the bait, and they get to sit back and watch it play out and get supply out of knowing that's what they did.”

Is engaging with rage bait affecting our mental health?

Of course, anger is not an inherently harmful emotion — von Sabler says it can be a powerful and motivating force that can fuel efforts for change and recovery in times of disaster.

However, in addition to being detrimental to our physical and mental health (as mentioned previously) being trapped in a cycle of anger can also strain our relationships, reduce our capacity for empathy, and contribute to a more polarised and hostile environment — as we’ve seen on social media.

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“It can also reinforce negative thinking patterns, making it harder to see issues from multiple perspectives or to find common ground with others,” von Sabler adds.

But if we can channel this rage into positive societal changes like advocacy, creative expression or problem-solving, it could be constructive. The key is not to let it fester and build up to a boiling point. And of course, think before you engage with online rage baiters — at the end of the day, you’re only feeding the beast.

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