The term “rage baiting” means a manipulative tactic used online to provoke anger or outrage in an audience, with the goal of increasing engagement, traffic, and potentially, revenue.
If you find yourself consistently angry after spending time online, you have been a victim to the revenue-generating manipulation.
I spent a long time monitoring this last legislative session – too much time. And, though the legislature gifted me much writing fodder, I found myself becoming cantankerous and disagreeable.
I also found myself focusing more and more time online, mindlessly scrolling, instead of interacting with my loved ones and friends.
Then, an article on “dopamine addiction” popped onto my screen. The article said you have dopamine addiction if you have persistent cravings, decreased reward sensitivity, impaired cognitive function. mood swings and irritability, difficulty in concentration and focus, memory loss and sleep problems.
“Hey, that’s me!” I thought.
Heeding the old Abraham Lincoln adage about never believing what you read on the internet, I searched the internet for a source I thought to be responsible. In these days when anyone with a keyboard and an opinion is an authority, I wanted to find a scholarly, science-based article on the subject.
I found an article by the Cleveland Clinic, one of the leading hospitals in the United States: What Is a Dopamine Detox and Does It Work?
That article told me Dopamine Detox really is not a thing. We need dopamine to survive. Instead of a trendy name, the article made it clear I had just fallen into a destructive habit of surfing the internet instead of doing anything productive.
While the article gave great advice on how to break the bad habit, I hearkened back to the wisdom of comedian Bob Newhart, who bellowed, “STOPPIT!”
I was being manipulated and ceding my control of my life to online content creators who wanted to keep me engaged. So they provoked my anger, among other things.
I grew grouchy and polarized. I found myself using terms like “flying monkeys” to refer to people with whom I disagreed on policy.
I found myself dehumanizing people just because they disagreed with me on policy items.
I did not like who I had become – a couch potato who spent his time scrolling incessantly on his phone – searching for the next controversy and thinking horrible thoughts.
So, following both the advice of the Cleveland Clinic and Bob Newhart, I made a conscious effort to turn off the phone; stop scrolling the news and engage with my family.
At first it was hard. I found my hand drifting back to my phone. I itched to see what the latest news in central Syria was today.
I had to pull my hand away from the phone to curb my craving to read about the latest activities of my favorite yak -- Yohan.
As the first couple of days of Spring Break passed, it became easier and easier to put down the phone.
I was on a tube floating, listening to my granddaughter dive for rings at the bottom of the pool. I looked up on the wall of the exclusive resort my wife reserved, to see the neon sign – No Bad Days. I took a deep breath.
I found the stress and resentment draining out of me and into the warm waters of the pool.
I smiled.
While the temptation to scroll is still there, the conscious effort to be engaged with real life has paid dividends. I went on some nice walks. I painted some beautiful rocks. I discussed why quail looks so silly walking in the desert. And I petted a smiling donkey at a zoo.
It took some effort to pull out the computer and create this week’s installment of my hobby column.
I cannot promise I will not fall back into the pattern. After all, I am an online content creator. To be successful, I must keep you engaged. I do that with creating content that prompts you to react, comment and share.
Thank you for every comment, like, dislike or share. In the online world, negative or positive, it is a measure of success.
I am going back to the pool now.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
