On February 24, 2016, Facebook rolled out “Reactions” globally—and the internet quietly changed.What looked like a harmless upgrade (Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry) became something much bigger: a system that could measure emotion—especially anger—and turn it into data, engagement, and ad revenue. 

In this episode of Broken Traditions, I break down how the Angry reaction helped normalize rage as a daily online habit, why platforms don’t just “allow” outrage but engineer and monetize it, and how that paved the way for modern ragebait content across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X.

We connect the dots between the old media playbook (fear + anger = attention) and the new one (algorithms + measurable emotions = profit), then talk about the real cost: emotional exhaustion, constant conflict, tribalism, and digital incarceration—where we become both the prisoners and the guards.

If you feel like your feed is always trying to make you mad, this episode will help you see the machine—and start taking your mind back.