Originally published in print in April 2026. View print issues here.

According to Oxford University Press, which named rage bait as the 2025 Word of the Year, rage baiting is content designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive, typically posted online to increase engagement on social media.

Rage baiting is also prevalent on campus. In February, a viral moment of an administrator being provoked was filmed and spurred controversy.

People should not rage bait or film others, but it is also important for people to identify when they are being rage baited and maintain their composure because emotional outbursts can escalate situations.

On March 18, Principal Beth Silbergeld sent an email to parents and students clarifying the restrictions on using electronics on campus. Board policy 5131.8 and Education Code 51512 state that using any electronic listening or recording device in a classroom is prohibited without permission from a teacher and administrator.

The email specifically mentioned the prohibition of Meta smart glasses, which can record audio and video and infringe on students’ privacy. According to the Ray-Ban website, Meta smart glasses allow users to capture photos and videos, talk to Meta AI and listen to music with voice and touch controls.

The discreet recording capabilities of these glasses enable people to create content and provoke others without their knowledge as they appear similar to standard Ray-Ban glasses. Creators have utilized these unassuming glasses to produce a variety of content online. “Auditors,” for instance, record their interactions with law enforcement and government officials in order to test their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly.

A YouTuber called First Amendment Protection Agency, who has 182,000 subscribers and conducts First Amendment audits, has used Meta glasses to record others who question his rights. He angers people while focusing the camera on them.

According to Newport Healthcare, rage baiting is effective because it kickstarts the natural human psychological and physiological responses, including the fight-or-flight response. When someone is provoked or becomes angry, their brain interprets it as a threat that elicits real bodily responses from stress hormones.

According to the Stanford Report, rage bait is used throughout social media by users seeking to maximize their online visibility and revenues. This algorithm travels fast and is amplified by negative engagement from the video’s audience, piling on outrage and anger.

Despite being profitable, rage baiting causes harm and distress to others, raising questions about the ethics of these situations. This physiological response that most people cannot control is taken advantage of by rage baiters for their own benefit.

The action of recording others in public, especially without them knowing, should not become normalized. When people profit from others’ unawareness, it makes online spaces more hostile and tense. Popularizing the mocking or attacking of others online could make viewers fearful that it could happen to them too or encourage the behavior.

According to California Penal Code 632(a), it is illegal to use an electronic device, like phones or Meta glasses, to record or listen to a private conversation without the consent of everyone involved. While this law does not apply in public spaces like streets, parks and restaurants, the same respect and consideration should still hold merit.

Rage baiting or recording others in any way without their consent should not be normalized, especially when used with malicious intent to purposely enrage others or profit off of their unawareness. Even if laws protect the recorders, the emotional effects are still real and should be valued.

Ultimately, rage baiting or recording others with or without their knowledge for personal gain is unacceptable because it increases tension and creates unnecessary conflict. Even if legal guidelines permit rage baiting, individuals should hold themselves to higher standards of morality and decency.

Illustration by Kailey Fu/Bear Witness