The Mindful Marketing Podcast (Formerly the Savvy Social Podcast) Host: Andréa Jones Episode: "Rage Bait - 2025 Word of the Year & What It Means to Marketers" Release Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Andréa Jones dives deep into the Oxford University Press’s newly announced Word of the Year for 2025: "Rage Bait." Andréa explores what rage baiting is, how it rose to cultural prominence thanks to social media algorithms and the TikTok effect, and why it matters to marketers and content creators. She unpacks the spectrum of provocative content—from satire to clickbait to pure rage bait—and offers actionable advice for mindful, positive content creation in the age of algorithmic outrage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rise of "Rage Bait" and its Meaning (00:00–05:10)

• Rage bait was named Word of the Year by Oxford University Press due to its meteoric rise in online searches and cultural conversation.
• Definition: “Rage baiting is content that’s specifically designed to make you angry or frustrated in order to drive engagement. Comments, likes, shares—all of it. It’s a deliberate manipulation of emotions, and it works because rage is one of the most powerful emotions humans can have.” (Andréa Jones, 01:46)
• Algorithms lack emotional intelligence—they simply amplify whatever gets the most engagement, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative attention.
• This widespread attention economy is often weaponized for monetary gain as creators—especially on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube—are financially rewarded for high engagement.

2. How Social Media Changed the Game: The TikTok Effect (03:20–07:15)

• TikTok revolutionized content discovery; rather than only seeing posts from people users follow, algorithms now heavily promote "discoverable" content, much of it from strangers.
• “I challenge you to scroll through your favorite social media app and make a mental note... Is it from people you follow, or is it from people you don’t?” (Andréa Jones, 06:55)
• This shift means creators can go viral with strangers but also increases the spread of rage-bait and similar problematic content.

3. The Content Spectrum: Satire, Clickbait, Shitposting, Rage Bait (07:20–16:45)

• Satirical Content: Harmless when everyone is "in on the joke." Used to encourage thinking and critique, not anger. (Example: Satire that sarcastically flips social norms.)
• Clickbait: Sensationalized or misleading headlines for clicks—usually not about anger, but about tricking users into engagement.
• Shitposting: “The chaos gremlins of the Internet.” Random, absurd, often harmless—confusing but not emotionally manipulative.
• Rage Bait: Designed to provoke outrage. The intent is emotional manipulation, which is damaging and erodes trust.
• Memorable Quote: “Rage baiting is like, ‘I want to make people angry.’ Satire is like, ‘I want to make people think.’ Clickbaiting is like, ‘I want to trick someone.’ Rage baiting is like, ‘I want to make them, like, explode.’” (Andréa Jones, 12:17)

4. Real-life Examples & Edge Cases (13:23–16:45)

• Example: Journalist Katie Natopoulos’s Threads account, which elegantly combines satire, shitposting, and rage bait—and the fine line between all three.
• Viral moments like “the dress” debate and “Laurel vs. Yanny” exemplify internet culture’s blend of joke, chaos, and occasional outrage.

5. The Dangers and Consequences of Rage Bait (16:45–19:13)

• While rage bait can result in huge short-term engagement and profit, it harms brands long-term by eroding trust and credibility.
• “While short term engagement is great, these tactics erode trust… Rage baiting being the most extreme version of this because people feel manipulated and that manipulation reduces credibility.” (Andréa Jones, 16:53)
• TikToker Winter Zezus as a case study: staging outrageous situations for tens of millions of views, but at the risk of alienating her audience and compromising her credibility.

6. The Mental Health Toll (19:13–21:28)

• Constant exposure to rage-inducing content can negatively impact mental health and trap users in a loop of negativity.
• Personal anecdote: Andréa shares how TikTok initially fed her outrage-based cooking videos, prompting her to deliberately curate her feed.

7. Mindful Marketing: Building Positive Communities (21:28–25:55)

• Advice for Marketers: Focus on content that inspires curiosity, joy, and connection, not outrage and division.
• Example: Andréa’s playful Threads post about her newfound love for Crocs sparked joyful, unexpected community interaction.
• “My mission is to create content that inspires curiosity and joy and thoughtful, meaningful conversations… Instead of trying to go viral by making people angry.” (Andréa Jones, 22:18)
• Educate your audience about online scams, clickbait, satire, and rage bait—help them spot manipulation.
• Use hooks honestly; avoid the temptation to blur the line between effective storytelling and clickbait/rage bait.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Mechanism of Rage Bait (01:46):

  “Rage baiting is content that’s speaking specifically designed to make you angry or frustrated in order to drive engagement. Comments, likes, shares, all of it. It’s a deliberate manipulation of emotions. And it works because rage is one of the most powerful emotions humans can have.” — Andréa Jones

• On Algorithmic Amplification (03:20):

  “Mr. Al, the algorithm, has no clue if you’re commenting, liking, stitching, sharing a video or whatever because you’re angry. It just sees all the likes and comments coming in, and it goes, oh great, let’s show this to more people.” — Andréa Jones

• On the Content Types Spectrum (12:17):

  “Rage baiting is like, I want to make people angry. Satire is like, I want to make people think. Clickbaiting is like, I want to trick someone. Rage baiting is like, I want to make them explode, you know?” — Andréa Jones

• On Mental Health Impact (19:13):

  “Constant exposure to these rage-inducing content pieces can negatively impact mental health… and you can very easily slip into a loop of only seeing rage bait content.” — Andréa Jones

• On Positive Content & Community (22:18):

  “My mission is to create content that inspires, you know, curiosity and, and joy and thoughtful, meaningful conversations or moments of connection and levity, you know, moments of, of I feel seen…” — Andréa Jones

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–02:50 — Introduction, backstory, and definition of rage bait
• 03:20–07:15 — How algorithms and social networks amplify rage bait; the TikTok paradigm shift
• 07:20–13:23 — The spectrum: satire, clickbait, shitposting, and rage bait
• 13:23–16:45 — Real-world examples of blurred lines between satire and rage bait
• 16:45–19:13 — Short- and long-term risks, including TikToker case study
• 19:13–21:28 — Mental health effects and personal algorithm anecdotes
• 21:28–25:55 — Tips for mindful marketing, positive content creation, and sustaining healthy online communities

Conclusion

Andréa Jones urges mindful content creation and marketing that prioritizes connection, joy, and education over the empty calories of rage-fueled engagement. She champions transparency, positive community, and digital wellbeing for marketers and audiences alike.

For further discussion:
Connect with Andréa on Threads or Instagram DMs, and help spread mindful marketing practices!