No easy explanation for increase in anger, expert says


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SALT LAKE CITY — Experts say they do not have a good answer as to what makes people lose their cool, sometimes even exploding in anger.

There's no blanket statement explaining what appears to be increased rage, including road rage, theater shootings, and all around explosion of tempers.

Licensed clinical mental health worker Stephanie Rowan-Bailey said most people don't shoot others over things like texting in a theater.

"There's some triggering mechanism there," she said. "Something about that heated that guy up so that he lost absolute control. That's not your average person, that's something deeper within this guy."

Rowan-Bailey said you could blame technology, but also blame changing societal norms and busier lives for people's perceived shorter fuses.

"Life is at a much quicker pace than it used to be, and I think that's causing a lot of internal issues, if you will," she said.

She feared it will only get worse as the next generation grows up.

Rowan-Bailey said if parents are working long hours or distracted, they won't discipline or correct their children, or teach their children to recognize and deal with emotions and anger.

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Mary Richards

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