2025 Word of the Year: Rage Bait

Here is your DMV Local Recap, keeping you informed on the important issues affecting our community.

Oxford University Press has officially announced its 2025 Word of the Year, and it’s a term many of us see online every day: “rage bait.” While technically two words, Oxford explains that the phrase was chosen because it perfectly captures a significant aspect of our current digital culture.

So, what exactly is rage bait? It refers to content deliberately designed to provoke anger, frustration, or outrage online. This is often done to increase engagement, such as clicks, comments, and shares. The selection of “rage bait” highlights the growing concerns around online interaction in an era dominated by artificial intelligence and questionable content.

The rise of AI has made our digital lives more complex than ever. From deepfake celebrity pages and AI-generated influencers to virtual companions on dating platforms, 2025 has been a year defined by questioning what is real and who we truly are online. “Rage bait” encapsulates this reality, pointing to a world where emotional manipulation for online traffic is common.

This announcement serves as a powerful commentary on our times. As technology continues to advance, the line between authentic interaction and calculated provocation becomes increasingly blurred. The choice of “rage bait” as the Word of the Year reflects a collective awareness of this trend and the need for more critical engagement with the content we consume daily.

2025 Word of the Year: Rage Bait was originally published on kysdc.com