The sound of shattering glass and splintering wood is becoming the soundtrack to a growing trend in the UK, as rage rooms experience an unprecedented surge in popularity. These venues, designed for the safe, cathartic destruction of objects, are reporting a massive increase in bookings, with one striking demographic leading the charge: women.
The Numbers Behind the Anger
New data reveals the scale of this phenomenon. Virgin's Ultimate Xtreme Rage Room has seen bookings skyrocket by 219%, while the Activity Dome in Weston-super-Mare has witnessed a remarkable 150% surge. The most telling statistic? A staggering 90% of these new customers are women.
This isn't an entirely new concept. The commercialised catharsis of rage rooms first emerged in Japan around 2008, coinciding with similar ventures like the one started by Chicago entrepreneur Donna Alexander, who charged people $5 to break items in her garage. The trend went global between 2015 and 2016.
Why Are Women So Angry?
The pronounced gender gap in rage room attendance reflects a broader societal shift. A 2022 BBC analysis of global Gallup polling data confirmed that women's anger levels have been rising over the preceding decade. A significant divergence from men's anger levels began in 2017, the same year the #MeToo movement went mainstream. By 2021, this had crystallised into a 6% gender anger gap.
Several compounding factors are fuelling this rise in female fury. The disproportionate caring burden women shouldered during the pandemic was a significant contributor. This is compounded by ongoing issues like the gender pay gap, which in the UK means women effectively work for free from a certain point in the year. The rollback of reproductive rights in the US and the return of controversial political figures to the world stage add to the collective sense of frustration.
Tyler Austin, manager of the Activity Dome in Weston-super-Mare, confirms the trend, noting the rage room serves as "a very popular emotional outlet for ladies who want to relieve work, relationship and childcare stress."
Alternative Outlets for Overwhelmed Women
For those who find the physical exertion of smashing objects too demanding, other options are gaining traction. Scream clubs, where people gather in public to let out a collective yell, are becoming popular.
For a quieter, more private release, experts like Dr Jennifer Cox, author of a book on women's anger, suggest methods such as screaming underwater, whacking a pile of coats with a wooden spoon, hurling ice cubes at a patio, or slapping a wet flannel into a sink.
Whether through controlled destruction or other means, the message is clear: women across the UK are actively seeking, and finding, new ways to manage the immense pressures of modern life.
