Professor Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick argues that rage reading can be explained by multiple perspectives, but it does help make us feel better about ourselves.

She said we often use social media to engage in downward comparison: seeking out others whose lives we view as worse than our own. Sometimes we prefer to be angry rather than bored.

“Getting angry can do more than just make you feel better about yourself in comparison to others. It can motivate you to take action to address injustice, or simply to be more kind and do the right thing in your own life,” Knobloch-Westerwick said.

Read the full article on NBC News.