Rage Bait and Content Farms — The Bane of Social Media
Y’all, I swear to you that I spent yesterday working on my closet island, but I ran into problem after problem that I had to solve. That means that I didn’t get enough done to even share the progress with you this morning. That will have to wait for another day.
In the meantime, I wanted to issue a PSA of sorts, because social media is a thing I both love and hate, probably with equal measure, at the same time. And there’s something that has me hating it lately, and that’s content farmers (content thieves) and rage bait.
Are you familiar with the term “rage bait”? Rage bait is when someone posts something outrageous for the sole purpose of getting interactions from people — likes, comments, shares. Why do they do this? Because they’re getting paid for it. Platforms like Facebook pay large pages for interactions, so there are pages that are filled with nothing but stupid rage bait posts, and they exist for no reason but to get a ton of engagement so that they’ll get paid lots of money (probably thousands of dollars) each month from Facebook for the activity on their pages. I don’t know if Instagram pays for engagement, but I know for a fact that Facebook and X (Twitter) do.
Not only that, but there are tons of pages that exist on nothing but stolen, uncredited content. This morning when I woke up, I grabbed my phone, opened up my Facebook app, and the very first post I saw on my Facebook feed was this post.
I’m sure that looks familiar all of you, right? Yes, this page not only stole all 17 of my pictures of my house, but they also copied my caption word for word and posted it on their page without crediting or tagging me. This is one page of probably thousands that exist on Facebook for the sole purpose of posting stolen content, without credit or tagging, to drive up engagement (likes, comments, and shares) so that they can get a monthly check from Facebook.
I can’t even express to you how much I hate these pages. And no, watermarking photos won’t help. I’ve been blogging for 17 years now, and for 16 of those years, I watermarked every single picture. But in this day and age of AI, watermarks can be removed in a second. These pages will take seconds to remove watermarks and repost stolen content for the sole purpose of making money. And since they only post stolen content, they have unlimited content at their fingertips that they can steal, post, and make money off of.
But the worst is the rage bait. I see post after post after post that is nothing but rage bait. They post these stupid pictures or videos (again, probably stolen) KNOWING that they’re going to drive people batty enough that people won’t be able to just scroll by without commenting on the stupidity of the post. That’s their whole goal. They want people to feel like they NEED to comment on the idiocy being displayed on the post. That drives up engagement, which drives up the amount of money they make.
Each time I see one of these rage bait posts with thousands of comments on them, all from people saying the same thing like, “This is so stupid!”, I just roll my eyes and think, “You’re doing exactly what they wanted you to do.” They know what they’re doing. They’re not as stupid as that one particular post may make them appear. Their only goal is engagement because they want the money your engagement with their post generates.
The second post I saw this morning, right after that post with my stolen content, was a rage bait picture and caption that I’ve seen posted on no fewer than 10 different Facebook pages so far. I should have taken a screen shot of it so that I could show you. I’m sure I’ll see it again today, so when I do, I’ll add a picture. But it’s a picture of a support post for a raised deck set on a concrete pier, but the support post is sitting only halfway on the concrete pier, with half of it floating off the edge of the concrete pier. And the caption reads something like, “I did this work for the homeowner, and she’s refusing to pay me!” Naturally, people see that picture, read that caption, think it’s the most ridiculous thing for a person to expect to be paid for such shoddy work, and can’t resist the urge to react and comment and let the person know how stupid he is for expecting payment for that kind of work.
UPDATE: I saw the post described above…again. I see this post at least three times a week. Just read the caption and you’ll see how stupid it is.
The picture is probably stolen (since it has shown up on multiple Facebook pages), the caption is a complete lie, made up to make people read it and feel the need to point out the stupidity, and it works every single time. Just look at the number of interactions — laugh responses, comments, shares. Based on those numbers, I’d estimate that page probably made anywhere from $400 to $500 on that single post alone from Facebook. But that’s all that this page posts — pictures of odd and ridiculous things, or asking for input on various home issues, all with the captions starting with “I have this problem…” and “I have this weird window…” and “What can I do with this awkward space in my house…” and on, and on. You scroll through all of their (stolen) pictures, and it’s obvious that all of those issues, awkward spaces, etc., can’t possibly be from one person’s home. They’re all stolen. They’re all weird issues or rage bait, and they’re all an effort to maximize responses, comments, and shares, to maximize Facebook monetization.
I’ve seen so many posts like this. Another example is cooking videos where a woman might say, “I’m going to share the recipe for my kids’ favorite dinner!” while she proceeds to dump a bag of Cheetos into a casserole dish, cover it with chunks of Spam, a jar of “cheese product” and some other delightful ingredients, and then put it in the oven. She takes it out, puts that slop on a plate, and shows you the finished product. Naturally, people can’t resist the urge to say things like, “I can’t believe you feed that to your kids for dinner!” and “How do you not know how unhealthy that is for your kids?”
They know. THEY KNOW. It’s rage bait. The entire purpose of the post is to get you to comment, react to the post, share the post, etc. They are turning your rage and disgust into thousands of dollars of income every month.
This is my personal plea to you. Do not engage with the rage baiters and content farmers on any social media platform. Resist the urge. They know exactly what they’re doing, and it’s all for money. They know that shoddy work isn’t acceptable. They’re not really feeding their kids Cheeto and Spam casserole for dinner. All they’re doing is intentionally stirring you up so that you’ll engage with their posts so that they can make money. And they’re turning social media platforms like Facebook and X and the others that pay for engagement into absolute cesspools of stupidity. Don’t help them line their pockets. Engage with people and pages you know and trust. Leave the content farmers and rage baiters to rot on the vine.
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. 😀 And again, I promise you that I’m working on the closet! I’ll share my progress with you as soon as I have progress to actually share.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Hi Kristi: Thanks for your PSA. While I realized that Social Media Thumbnail pictures and posts are trying to sometimes get your unwarranted attention, I hadn’t even thought about rage bait commenting helping them – so good to know! Your readers obviously know how hard you work on your projects and I can only imagine how frustrating that is for you . . . . but they will get their due for stealing your wonderful content. While justifiably frustrating, try to remember that these thieves will reap the consequences, in due time! Hopefully, they realize that sooner than later! But on the positive side (if there is one), if you had crappy content, they wouldn’t be stealing it. As the saying goes, Imitation is best form of flattery. I do wish that there was a way to prosecute this, though!
I’m so sorry that people are stealing your photos! I don’t do Facebook so I don’t know much about how it works. How do people get paid for posting things and having comment on the posts?
It’s basically a revenue-sharing program that Facebook has with pages (not personal pages) to drive up engagement. The more engagement, the more a Facebook page gets paid. Full disclosure: I get paid for engagement on my A2D Facebook page. But I only share my own pictures of my own work, and I do my absolute best to offer valuable content and answer any questions that people have.
Thank you for the explanation. I didn’t realize that there was an opportunity to earn (or steal!) money on Facebook!
100%! I have already made it my purpose to avoid all forms of manipulation pointed at me this year. There’s catharsis in challenging lunacy, but there’s way more catharsis for me, in enjoying a peaceful day by letting an attention addict stroll on past me without a reaction. No, is a complete sentence.. so is a raised eyebrow, then carrying on with your day.
Thanks for this info. I knew it generally but these specifics are greatly enlightening!
Best to you and Matt today.
Go get ’em, Kristi♡
Some use their pages to generate income. Also some swap out the content and use your engagement to validate a scam. They start with a missing pet/child post to share and spread the word. Sometimes the spooky if you see x you are to be kidnapped. Then they swap it out for selling a MLM/real estate get rich pitch.
I’m glad someone’s making $$ off of vending, and real estate, but I’ll let those fellas camp that market. If greater than 5% of the eyeballs that see your do this and for this return, the advertised growth is lost. Just think how many started doing a driving app. A few of the early adopters did make money, now it’s not as easy. A few have left that to do their own and keep more of the fare. Some signed up for predatory leases to participate, and got tied up in more debt than income.
The rage bait information is very helpful! Thank you for this. And may all the content stealers reap their just rewards, sooner rather than later!
Social media started out as a way to connect and share and just as AI will start out as useful it will end up being purely about money and profits. The posts I hate are about the animals that are mistreated or abused to get clicks and engagement😢 but there are many that get saved because of social media as well. why cant people just be decent human beings🤷♀️
Lesson learned. Your advice makes perfect sense, and I will follow it. My local community has a woman (unemployed/welfare) who posts the most ridiculous stuff and gets so many comments. Now I know why.
Wow, I don’t use social media at all, so I had not realized what a mess it is. I mean, I knew it was soupy, but not that bad. I’m happily out of touch. You have very clearly explained it all. Its a wonder that anything with any truth is ever out there. Thanks for plainly explaining what happens with “the algorithm” and the payment system. Good luck with the closet.
Honestly, I wish they would demonetize all of the nonsense that is posted on social media.
I’m not on any social media, I get teased that I live in a cave, but I don’t care, don’t have time for that stuff. But I am so sorry that you, a dedicated individual who has taken the time to show and explain things get poached and then trod upon. Thank you again for always keeping us in the loop and never in the dark. I know that we all appreciate the hard work and dedication that you put into everything that you do and do so well.
Cheers to you and Matt!
The information you shared today is the exact reason I am off most social media. I took my Facebook page down years ago and have never looked back. The best advise is to just delete most, you won’t miss it. Free up your time to do “waste of time with things you like.”
Thank you! I learned something new today! I have encountered rage bait! I will scroll past it as fast as I can from now on. I’m sorry your content was stolen. It never ceases to amaze me what people think is OK. Good luck on your island.
Completely random, but I came across this article in my feed today about how to handle copywrite theft: https://fstoppers.com/education/how-handle-copyright-theft-step-step-702255
This is a very thoughtful and useful post for all of us.
Even posting that the content is stolen, or a thumbs down, is helping the fraudulent poster.
Thank you for your helpful, enlightening post.
Oh my! I read your post and then went to my FB feed and JUST SAW a photo of your side door portico cover as a “reference” picture for a home design and decor FB page. I don’t know if that counts as the same thing, but there was no reference at all for your hard work.
(stalking the poster’s FB page, the poster does have a cute pup!)
I highly encourage you to report the content thieves. Don’t let them get away with stealing.
From the Facebook EULA (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms):
“You therefore agree not to engage in the conduct described below (or to facilitate or support others in doing so):
1. You may not use our Products to do or share anything:
bullet 4 – You may not use our Products to do or share anything:
That infringes or violates someone else’s rights, including their intellectual property rights (such as by infringing another’s copyright or trademark, or distributing or selling counterfeit or pirated goods), unless an exception or limitation applies under applicable law.
To help support our community, we encourage you to report content or conduct (https://www.facebook.com/help/181495968648557?ref=tos) that you believe violates your rights (including intellectual property rights https://www.facebook.com/help/intellectual_property?ref=tos ) or our terms and policies, if this feature exists in your jurisdiction.”
There is more information in the EULA page (link above) that defines your content rights. Don’t take it lying down.
1. Will you be successful in having your stolen content taken down?
You won’t know unless you try.
2. Is it a waste of time?
Standing up for yourself is never a waste of time.
If you can’t tell, these types of people annoy me to no end and I wish for their demise. 🙂 I avoid 99% of social media as it has become a toxic, poisonous cesspool of bad behavior and keyboard warriors coupled with greedy tech corporations exploiting their users (products).
You work hard to create your excellent content and deserve full credit. I wish you every success.
Social Media is the Devil; but had NO IDEA that money is being made this way. Stealing your watermarked photos!!! ‘
I’ve read they will post a picture of a young girl and then alter it to a horrendous look/act or version.
#TakeItDown by Mrs. Trump is now the non-political law.
I’m with you. I HATE RAGE BAIT — I refuse to interact. And like you, I roll my eyes with all the comments. People are absolutely that stupid, and they are making money from them. *shakes head* Unbelievable. I also report any stolen content as I see it, but I also know it won’t stop and it’s only a drop in the bucket. So sorry you weren’t credited for your amazing work. 🙁
I never heard of this, but it makes sense with all these platforms competing for attention. Glad I don’t participate on much. I get aggravated with Pinterest at times…some of the ads are a duplicate of a local vendor I know that makes beautiful items…her picture and products, and yet it is NOT her…from a foreign country, and once I saw a review…the product is NOTHING like hers when received. I am not enjoying Pinterest much any more for that reason. So sad as I used to love it. Thank you for the warning…I will not fall into any of that life/time-sucking crap!
I found the rage bait makes me feel bad, a feeling I don’t like, so if I have the option to block or not see posts from those creators I click that immediately. Responding to them is pointless.
I’ve not heard the term ‘rage bait’ but I just recently saw a news person calling out a legitimate organization for doing it, and they sheepishly admitted they had!
I’m still shocked that people can just steal your content though and there is no recourse with Facebook, etc. I personally stay off of social media and just focus on solid, positive content like your blog.
A lot of the time I hate Facebook. I NEVER comment on posts from people, etc I don’t know. FB just wants to make money and grab your data. In this day of highly proficient coders there’s no excuse that the problem can’t be solved.
Rant again on this subject. BTW, do you get credit when readers write comments on this website?
On my website, I earn money for visits. The more pages clicked and read, the better (for me 😀 ). No need to write a comment, although I love reading the thoughts and input from readers, and I always try to answer questions. I’d love it if I had time to interact with every single comment, but there’s just not enough time in the day. I do read all of them, though, and I really do my best to answer every single question readers have. I don’t get 100% of them. I know I miss some. But I try!
BIG THANK YOU, Kristi..I would have had no idea this existed if you hadn’t brought it up…..
Yet another reason why I’m not on FB or X. Long live blogs!
I knew about trolls but I did not know about the rage bait. Thanks for the PSA. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to find your pics on another website. Do you have a relative or close friend who is an attorney? If so, get them to write a cease & desist order you can print out or email to offenders. Usually, getting a legal document will scare the average person, particularly the ignorant ones. I’ve had my daughter, who is an attorney in TX, do this for me on occasion.
Whenever I see a stolen photo of yours, I would comment that it was stolen and credit you. I never realized that was what they wanted 😡😡😡. Sorry, I thought I was helping you
I had no idea that these comments get paid! Thanks for the heads up. I am old and this world is changing too fast for me. I love keeping up with my family and friends on Facebook. Now l will be more aware of the things happening. Thank you so much for the info.
What’s even better than people commenting on Ragebait is people commenting on how the ragebait is ragebait…..on the ragebait, thus adding more engagement. Seems I need to get into the ragebait business – seems super profitable for little effort. It’s too bad I have too much personal integrity.
Amen. My personal rule is: If I can’t say something nice, DON’T READ IT!!!
My daughter recently purchased a house. Imagine our surprise when people started coming to the house wanting to rent it. Someone had gone on Zillow and taken those photos, then created a listing on FB marketplace. People peeking in windows and pulling into the driveway. It’s kind of scary. I even started an interaction with the person that posted it. He never asked for money, but wanted me to fill out an application that included my name, address, social security, date of birth, current and former employers, etc… The police were notified but they said there was no crime. They suggested we report it to Facebook. Be safe out there, friends! P.S. She is loving the tutorials on the blog! The house is a fixer upper and she is really wanting to make it her own. Thank you for sharing your skills!
That is one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard! I wonder what the scam was? Surely he didn’t think he could actually rent out someone else’s house, right? But there has to be some sort of money angle for him to do such an outrageous thing. Some people are just outright insane! I can’t imagine doing something like that!