Across the UK, a surprising trend is exploding in popularity: rage rooms. These venues, where people pay to safely smash objects like old appliances and crockery, are reporting a massive surge in bookings, with one striking demographic leading the charge – women.
The Surge in Smashing
New data reveals an unprecedented boom for this unusual form of stress relief. Virgin’s Ultimate Xtreme Rage Room has seen bookings skyrocket by 219%, while the Activity Dome in Weston-super-Mare reported a staggering 150% increase. The most remarkable statistic? A overwhelming 90% of these new customers are women.
Tyler Austin, manager of the Activity Dome, confirmed the trend, noting their rage room has become a popular emotional outlet for women seeking to relieve pressures from work, relationships, and childcare.
Why Are Women So Angry?
This commercialised catharsis isn't a new concept; it first emerged in Japan in 2008 and was popularised in the West around 2015. But the current boom points to a deeper, gendered shift in societal anger.
Analysis of global Gallup polling data by the BBC in 2022 provided the evidence: women's anger levels have been rising over the past decade. A significant divergence from men's anger levels began in 2017, coinciding with the #MeToo movement going mainstream. By 2021, this had crystallised into a 6% gender anger gap.
Experts point to a confluence of factors driving this trend:
- The disproportionate caring burden women shouldered during the pandemic.
- The rollback of reproductive rights in the United States.
- The persistent gender pay gap in the UK, symbolised by the recent 'Women's Pay Day' – the point from which women effectively work for free for the rest of the year.
- The return of divisive political figures and rhetoric to the forefront of public discourse.
Alternative Outlets for Overwhelmed Women
For those who find the physical exertion of a rage room too much, other options are gaining traction. 'Scream clubs', where groups meet in public spaces to collectively let out their frustration, are becoming popular.
For a quieter, more private release, Dr Jennifer Cox, author of a book on women's anger, suggests several methods:
- Screaming underwater.
- Whacking a pile of coats with a wooden spoon.
- Hurling ice cubes at a patio.
- Slapping a wet flannel into a sink.
Despite these alternatives, the primal, physical satisfaction of safely destroying inanimate objects appears to hold a powerful appeal for a growing number of women seeking a tangible outlet for their rage.
