Why Everything Online Feels So Extreme (And What’s Really Going On)
Lately I’ve been noticing something.
Every time I open social media, I see things like:
“This product is toxic”
“You need to throw this away immediately”
“Stop doing this right now”
And somehow… it’s always something I’m using.
Dish soap. Makeup. Clothes. Food. Everything.
And after a while, it starts to feel like:
“Am I doing everything wrong?”
But then I stopped and thought about it.
And I realized…
This isn’t random.
How Social Media Actually Works
A lot of influencers don’t get paid based on being right.
They get paid based on:
clicks
comments
shares
engagement
And here’s the part most people don’t realize:
👉 It doesn’t matter if the engagement is positive or negative.
A comment is a comment.
A share is a share.
A reaction is a reaction.
It’s Called Rage Baiting
There’s actually a name for this.
👉 Rage baiting
It’s when content is created specifically to:
trigger you
frustrate you
make you feel strongly enough to react
Because when you feel something, you engage.
You comment.
You share.
You send it to a friend.
And that pushes the content even further.
They’re Also Being Paid to Sell You Something
This is the part that really changed everything for me.
A lot of the same people telling you:
“This product is bad, throw it out”
…are also turning around and saying:
“Use this instead”
With:
affiliate links
discount codes
brand partnerships
So now it’s not just information.
👉 It’s marketing.
What Gets Your Attention the Fastest
Not calm, balanced information.
It’s:
fear
urgency
strong opinions
So instead of saying:
“This might matter depending on your situation”
You’ll hear:
“This is dangerous and you need to stop immediately”
Because that gets you to stop scrolling.
Why It Feels So Personal
These videos are designed to make you feel like:
you’re doing something wrong
you’re behind
you need to fix something right now
That emotional reaction?
That’s the goal.
So I Made a Change
At a certain point, I was just… over it.
The constant noise.
The constant “you’re doing this wrong.”
The constant pressure to change everything.
So I decided to unfollow every single influencer on my social media.
And honestly?
It felt like a reset.
This Is Why Everything Feels So Intense Right Now
It’s not that everything is suddenly toxic.
It’s that:
the loudest content is the content that gets the most attention
And a lot of that content is designed to:
trigger you
keep you watching
and ultimately… sell to you
What I Do Now
Now when I see something like that, I pause.
Instead of thinking:
“Oh no, I need to change this”
I ask:
“Is this actually helpful… or is this rage bait?”
And also:
“Is someone about to sell me something?”
A More Grounded Way to Move Through It
You don’t need to:
throw everything out
change everything overnight
keep up with every new opinion online
You can:
take what makes sense
leave what doesn’t
and keep living your life
Final Thoughts
Social media is a tool.
But it’s also a business.
And a lot of what you’re seeing is designed to get your attention—and your money—not necessarily to give you the full picture.