Part I: Rage bait, gaslighting, and the age we live in
For us as evangelicals; Word and words are core. Overr the next three works I will reflect on the unfolding revelatory nature of words.
Part I: Rage bait, gaslighting, and the age we live in
We think in words. And when new words emerge, they disclose the assumptions and patterns of thought shaping a culture. New words arise because a new experience needs naming. In that sense, language is a window into our cultural moment.
One such term is rage bait, named by Collins as its word for 2025. Rage bait describes content deliberately designed to provoke anger, disgust, or moral outrage in order to drive attention and engagement. It is not accidental offence; it is engineered reaction.
Closely related is another word that has moved into everyday speech: gaslighting. Gaslighting names the experience of being persistently fed partial truths, distortions, or selective information in ways that undermine trust, memory, or judgment. When combined with rage bait, the effect is powerful: people are not only provoked, but disoriented — emotionally activated while being subtly steered toward particular conclusions.
The rise of these terms tells us something sobering. We live in an information culture, but not necessarily a wisdom culture. Fragments of de-contextualised information are dropped into our orbit, often to manipulate. Communication becomes a tool of power — used to divide, to destabilise, and to mobilise.
Social media algorithms intensify this dynamic. They reward extreme and emotionally charged responses because outrage drives engagement. Engagement, in turn, becomes a mechanism for manufacturing disquiet, and disquiet becomes a lever for change. In such a system, anger is not a side-effect; it is the currency.
The Bible offers a markedly different posture.
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2). “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
Scripture assumes that not all information deserves immediate reaction, and not all intensity signals truth. Wisdom involves discernment — learning to ask not only is this true? but why is this being framed this way? and what response is it trying to evoke in me?
Christians, of all people, should be wary of being baited or gaslit. We are called to be a community known for love, patience, and unity amid difference. In an age of rage bait and gaslighting, faithfulness may look surprisingly quiet — choosing the slower, steadier work of listening, truth-seeking, and seeking peace.