Ever wanted to demolish stress like Beyoncé in Lemonade? Read on to find out how.
30-year-old Jose Bedolla is a salesman relying on commission to boost his salary, so it’s no surprise he says he’s “always stressed.” The Guardian reports that Bedolla soon found himself laying waste to his surroundings with a baseball bat, breaking a flat screen television, shattering chinaware, even shredding a stuffed bear. But 15 minutes after completely demolishing the room, cops weren’t called because his vandalism was completely legal. In fact, it was labeled as “therapeutic.” But why?
Bedolla had just paid $50 to destroy a rage room at Tantrums LLC, whose slogan boasts, “Relaxation after devastation.” These anger or rage rooms, are recreational destruction businesses where frustrated clients pay to destroy the contents of a room to let off steam. This customer catharsis is supposedly achieved by pulverizing problems without public humiliation, while providing profit for local communities.
A trip to an anger room begins with booking a reservation, where customers over 18 choose the length of time they’d like to spend (usually between 15 to 45 minutes). Purchase packages differ based on how many people are participating, and the number and type of items being destroyed. For example, Battle Sports Rage Room in Toronto’s website says they offer everything from a “Regular Rage Session” for individuals to “Date Night” for couples and a “Super SMASH Party Package” for large groups. Add-on items like electronics, printers, chairs, and other specialty pieces can be bought separately for a fee, and there are often options to customize the aesthetics of the room.
However, they have both advantages and disadvantages. Rage rooms succeed as a means of managing isolated anger, such as that resulting from singular incidents like job loss. Todd Kashdan, clinical psychology professor at George Mason University, believes this particular type of short-term anger can be useful if channeled into something positive. Rage rooms and so-called “destructotherapy” then fit into the recommended spectrum of anger management techniques as they constructively channel aggression the same way activities like kickboxing or martial arts would.
While they can be advantageous when dealing with exclusive, unique stressors, engaging in destructive behavior due to chronic anger issues is ineffective at best, and perpetuate violent behavior at worst. As the University of Michigan Health explains, the outdated catharsis model promoted by therapists which encourages “getting it out” is disproven and repeatedly misunderstood. Researchers at Florida State University told the previously cited Pioneer Press that the good feeling that follows venting long-term anger is likely to reinforce violent behaviors. One experiment even that found test subjects who were insulted in experiments and then allowed to vent their frustration by pounding nails or hitting a punching bag ended up more hostile after the experience. This means that rage rooms can set up a vicious cycle that engenders future aggression.
Despite this controversy, rage rooms have undeniably raised awareness about an equally controversial emotion. Kashdan (previously mentioned) explains that society is still in a place where we feel it inappropriate to express anger, noting problematic stigmas surrounding the emotion. As lifestyles become increasingly fast-paced, society is “more irate yet less tolerant of outbursts.” In fact, a fear of rage motivates the belief that there’s never an appropriate time to express anger and it’s always toxic, which Kashdan says is an amazing perception to have for an emotion that has evolved to help us under certain circumstances.
Will you be visiting a rage room anytime soon?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/24/rage-room-anger-manageme…