rage room

The first rage rooms were likely in Japan in 2008 or earlier.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliewu/2016/10/30/all-the-rage-scream-and-anger-rooms-are-boiling-up-around-the-world/#1b8ea1731ef1|website=forbes.com|title=All The Rage: Scream and Anger Rooms Are Boiling Up Around The World|accessdate=2018-11-12}} The concept has spread to other countries, such as Serbia, the United Kingdom, Austria,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-01-18 |title=Kurz und klein: Abreagieren in der „Smashbox“ |url=https://steiermark.orf.at/magazin/stories/3289611/ |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=steiermark.ORF.at - Steiermark Magazin |language=de-AT}} Argentina, Nigeria,{{cite news |last1=Ukomadu |first1=Angela |title=Lagos rage room offers Nigerians cathartic release for pent-up anger |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/lagos-rage-room-offers-nigerians-cathartic-release-pent-up-anger-2023-11-24/ |access-date=3 May 2025 |publisher=Reuters |date=November 24, 2023}} and Canada.{{cite news |last1=Marsh |first1=Calum |title=Rough day? Time to visit the Rage Room, where destruction is encouraged |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/aug/12/rage-room-toronto |work=The Guardian |date=12 August 2015}} As of 2018, hundreds of rage rooms operated in cities across the United States.

Independently, Donna Alexander created an early rage room in her Dallas garage in 2008, using items abandoned on the street. She opened the Anger Room, a 1,000-square-foot Dallas warehouse in 2011.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/12/13/she-created-anger-room-combat-violence-then-her-ex-boyfriend-beat-her-death-police-say/|title=

She created the 'Anger Room' to combat violence. Then her ex-boyfriend beat her to death, police say|author=Meagan Flynn|date=2018-12-13|accessdate=2023-06-06|newspaper=The Washington Post}} Alexander stated that she created the facility to combat violence by giving people a safe place to take out their aggressions.

In February 2021, Italian artist Colline di tristezza proposed to set up rage rooms and crying rooms in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools to decrease the risk of staff burnout.{{cite web|url=https://www.giornalettismo.com/rage-room-ospedali-scuole|date=February 4, 2021|title=E se in Italia creassimo delle apposite rage room in ospedali e scuole?|lang=it}}

Rage rooms hold controversy for their effectiveness within the psychology field. Some psychologists believe rage rooms give only a temporary fix with inadequate emotional management, and argue that they may lead to more aggression later on, such as encouraging violence outside the room and intensifying anger and violence within individuals, especially those with anger issues.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=Rage Rooms: Do They Help or Hurt Your Stress? |url=https://ahealthiermichigan.org/stories/mind/are-rage-rooms-good-for-mental-health |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=A Healthier Michigan}} Other psychologists believe that expressing anger in a rage room is healthy, giving short-term relief.{{Cite web |title=Rage Rooms: Do They Offer Anger Relief or Reinforce Bad Behavior? |url=https://health.clevelandclinic.org/anger-rooms-do-they-offer-relief-or-reinforce-bad-behavior |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Cleveland Clinic}} For the most part, rage rooms are better at stress relief than at dealing with actual anger or rage. Some of the stress-relieving effect may be due to the physical exercise involved.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-30 |title=Stressed Seattleites can try rage rooms and float therapy, but do they work? |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mental-health/stressed-seattleites-can-try-rage-rooms-and-float-therapy-but-do-they-work/ |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}

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While rage rooms provide a relatively safe place for destroying things, risks include slipping and falling, flying debris from items being smashed, and emotional injury. Because of this, establishments require participants to wear safety gear such as eye protection, coveralls, and gloves, and to sign a liability waiver.{{cite web|url=https://asweatlife.com/2019/11/rage-rooms|website=asweatlife.com|title=An Expert Weighs in on Whether Rage Rooms Are Really a Good Way to Relieve Stress|date=November 1, 2019|access-date=January 20, 2021}}

Depending upon the objects being destroyed, participants and especially the workers, who have all-day, everyday exposure to both airborne particles and contact from cleaning up the mess afterwards, may be exposed to toxic chemicals, such as the mercury in old electronics, lead in leaded glass,{{Cite news |last=Michelena |first=Liliana |date=2022-07-25 |title=Stress relief or toxic exposure? State cautions 'rage rooms' may deliver unwanted release |language=en-US |work=CalMatters |url=http://calmatters.org/justice/2022/07/rage-rooms-hazardous-waste-exposure/ |access-date=2022-11-07}} and lithium in lithium ion batteries.{{Cite news |last=Hunter |first=Tatum |date=July 10, 2023 |title=People are paying to break printers with sledgehammers in smash rooms |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/10/rage-room-printers-recycle-environment-health/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} High-risk items include fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, and CRT screens (such as found in older televisions). These may cause effects on the environment, such as fires and explosions, if standard precautions are not followed.

As of 2023, local governments are beginning to prohibit the smashing of electronics in rage rooms to protect the environment, including Los Angeles.

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{{commons category|Rage rooms}}

Category:Rage (emotion)

Category:Recreation