I admit to not being “in the know” about many trends. One trend that I only learned about recently is the Rage Room.
Rage rooms are all the rage
Rage rooms are spaces where you can smash objects with hammers, bats or crowbars. The targets of the smashing can be glassware, electronics, furniture or anything else. You wear protective gear and pay for a timed session.
Rage rooms are booming globally, and in places like South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. I even saw one advertised at an upcoming flea market. Because the family that hits together, knits together?
The rise of rage
Apparently rage rooms are especially popular with women and Gen Z.
Research suggests that the rise of rage rooms is due to increasing stress levels. We all know about post-pandemic stress, serious economic worries, and general emotional exhaustion.
The research shows that venting anger physically does not fix any issues. In fact, it may increase aggression. Rage rooms are more like emotional fast food. But they are Instagrammable.
Smashing: The South African version
There is a rage room in Pretoria called the "Wack Shack". (Their spelling, not mine. I’ve read that "wack" is slang for "uncool")
I looked at what South African rage rooms offer. The packages vary based on the duration and the number of people involved. The items available to smash are not interesting. The ads refer to glass bottles, unspecified electronics, and other unspecified items. Only the package for moms is more specific: it includes household items and toys. Take that, vacuum cleaner!
This is a missed commercial opportunity. How about a proper South African version? Like an "Eskom Explosion". Or one to match my recent experience with the Department of Labour’s online system. (I’ve written about that for years, and nothing has changed.)
Smashing: The IT version
Some IT-themed packages could be lucrative. Here are some names – just add the appropriate targets for your frustration:
- Server Smackdown
- Blue Screen Bash
- Printer Pummel
- Teams Tantrum Tank
- Syntax Slam
Some AI-themed packages would be even more popular. You could add foam chatbots, printouts to tear up, flipcharts with buzz words. Or cardboard cutouts of people like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerburg. Let your imagination run free. I’ve come up with some names to get you going:
- Hallucination Station
- Model Meltdown
- Prompt Punchbag
- Chatbot Shotspot (if you’d rather shoot things).
Feeling better now?
Update on the global teaspoon threat
I had such fun last week writing about missing teaspoons that I had to provide a quick update.
After reading the research, a French physician submitted a short article to the same medical journal. He provided data from the hospital near Paris where he worked. According to this data, about 1800 teaspoons disappeared during the first five months of 2001. This supports the view that that spoon disappearance is a global threat.
A letter to the New Scientist publication in 2006 proposed an alternative theory. The writer suggested that teaspoons mutate into dessert spoons. This explains why there is never a shortage of dessert spoons.
Sadly, there has been no further research on the topic. It would be interesting to know what happened to the teaspoons during Covid.
I’d love to hear what you think about rage rooms and missing teaspoons.