Growing an Audience from Anger 😡

Facebook did, and maybe still does, promote posts that garner the “angry” emoji. 😡

I’ve seen people intentionally trying to invoke the angry emoji recently so I’m guessing it’s still an effective way to get eyeballs and build an audience.

Some of the biggest “stars” on Twitter just peddle anger all day long to keep growing their audience.

When I was posting things on Facebook it was definitely the posts that “triggered” people that got the most attention. I mean, it makes perfect business sense: More anger = more engagement = more ads served. Money!!! Facebook profits off our rage. So, apparently, does Medium.

I had a my first Medium post go “viral” recently by invoking anger: Notes from an Angry Christian.

Over 400 claps and counting. More subscribers! Yay! Winning!

But this isn’t just a social media issue. All news sources do this. Anger is engagement, engagement means clicks, clicks mean dollars. Simple math. Just your basic free market economy at work.

But…. at what cost?

I feel a bit dirty. I believe my points are valid still, and I do think it’s a message that some people need to hear. But to what end? Will it somehow enact change? Or, will it just further polarize and help companies profit off our dopamine addictions?

When is it time to be angry? When is it time to find common ground? And when is unity acceptable vs. unacceptable?

As I wander through history this is often what goes through my head. When to stand your ground, when to flee.. when to accept. A German in the 1930s.. a Southerner in the 1850s.. when do you draw the line in the sand?

As a Christian we’ve left 3 churches in the past 10 years or so. One I fought for extensively, at a great cost to my family. The second we held on for awhile even though we saw where it was heading.. and the third we made a brief stand at and then got out quickly when we saw the same pattern of unhealthy leadership. These are all complex situations and I’m sure there will be readers that condemn me for leaving a church at all. But, you weren’t there.

My kids have scars from all this. One has completely given up on Church, and Christianity, all together. I don’t blame them at all. I don’t have good answers for her. When I think about it, I get angry. The church let us down. Leaders let us down.

Now, when it comes to friends.. where is that line? At what point do world views become so divided that common ground isn’t possible? I don’t like that thought, but it’s one I keep coming back to. Am I willing to draw clear boundaries?

I don’t really want to profit off of anger. But I am still angry, and I think it’s justified.

I’m angry, now what?