I Miss the Rage! A Deep Dive into Tiktok’s Latest Trend
Image courtesy: HBO
In the latest viral TikTok trend, users overshare about their so-called “rage era.” While it is entertaining, it’s equally intriguing and a bit concerning. Why do we romanticize the most chaotic time in our life? Why do so many people go through this phase? And most importantly, why do we miss it?
Shown above are typical examples of the trend. The “rage” usually refers to high school years of sneaking out, drinking, doing drugs, and basically not giving a f*ck.
As humans, we love freedom. We love the feeling of doing whatever we want, whenever we want. This feeling of freedom is easily reached by breaking the rules and being a badass. Doing things you know you’re not supposed to be doing makes you feel powerful and in control, two elements all teens desire.
It’s a sad yet unsurprising reality that a substantial number of teens deal with mental health issues. It’s hard to express that and deal with it properly, which is why so many young people turn to drugs and alcohol as coping mechanisms. Occupying your time with reckless behavior can also aid in forgetting about internal conflicts. Adrenaline rushes caused by rebellious actions can release dopamine, numbing the painful feelings poor mental health brings.
When you grow up, you have more responsibilities. As a teenager or young adult, you’re not held accountable as you would be later on in life. The consequences aren’t as harsh, so it’s easy to take advantage of this and be chaotic while you still can.
The media plays a prominent role in romanticizing this careless and rebellious behavior. Movies, TV shows and music can make this lifestyle seem pretty f*cking cool. Teens are easily influenced, and this type of portrayal in the media can give them validation for acting this way.
It’s hard to think about the future when you’re young. You don’t necessarily want a plan. You just want to live and be happy. It’s normal to yearn to be older when you’re young, but in all honesty, we don’t actually want to grow up. “Raging” is the key to forgetting about the responsibilities of the future and how truly scary it is to grow older. It’s almost like taking a pause, forgetting about the rest of the world.
When we hit our rage breaking point, we have to face reality. Reality isn’t bad all the time, but it’s a lot more thinking, planning, and doing. We miss the rage because it is the short period of our lives when we don’t have to think; we just do. We do what makes us feel good at the moment. We mask pain with poor decision-making. This is not by any means healthy, but let’s face it–it can be kind of fun.
Having no plan for the future or really any regard for the world around you is enjoyable. It’s a beautiful feeling to live in the moment, completely careless and free. It’s easy to live this way, but it’s impossible to be genuinely happy long-term.
It’s okay and completely normal to miss the rage. I miss the rage. But it’s probably in your best interest to leave the rage in the past.
Strike out,
Morgan Harms
Boca Raton
Morgan Harms is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She is a pisces mermaid infatuated with the ocean and the color blue. She spends her free time daydreaming, wave hunting, and blasting music from whatever genre she’s into that day. You can reach her on Instagram @morganjharms, or by email morganjharms@gmail.com.
