- Title: Latvians release stress in new Riga 'rage room'
- Date: 8th October 2019
- Summary: RIGA, LATVIA (OCTOBER 5, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAN SMASHING ALARM CLOCK MAN THROWING OBJECT AGAINST WALL, OBJECT SHATTERING MAN BREAKING A GUITAR PHONE BEING BROKEN WITH HAMMER WOMAN USING HAMMER, WOMAN SMILING WHILE HOLDING HAMMER WOMEN LAUGHING IN FRONT OF RAGE ROOM, WOMEN INSIDE RAGE ROOM BREAKING OBJECTS DEBRIS ON FLOOR OF RAGE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) 30-YEAR-OLD NURSERY TEACHER, SANTA STANKEVICA, SAYING: "It was great, for all previous years which were not ok, for every year you just take an item and smash, hit and pour it out, and then you can go on in life with a light heart." VARIOUS OF MAN BREAKING GLASS PANE WITH BAT (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) 41-YEAR-OLD BANK EMPLOYEE, RAIVIS GUTMANIS, SAYING: "I enjoyed it. For me to break things is a little unnatural, but the emotion in doing this is rather more positive than negative." KETTLE BEING HIT WITH AXE (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) 25-YEAR-OLD ACADEMIC ROWER, ELZA GULBE, SAYING: "At this moment I feel at ease. In my opinion, it is a very good room. It would be worth coming here once a year and discharge your emotions, as at home it would be rather expensive to throw all the dishes in the air. I think it is very interesting." INTERIOR OF RAGE ROOM SHELF WITH TOOLS USED FOR HITTING OBJECTS, FIRST AID KIT VARIOUS OBJECTS READY FOR USE BY CLIENTS OF RAGE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) SMASH ROOM RIGA OWNER, KRISTAPS ZALITIS, SAYING: "Originally the plan was to create an entertainment spot, but soon it became clear that it is not pure entertainment but, in its essence, it is therapy. People come here to stamp out daily stress, in a very specific way, by smashing different objects." WOMEN HOLDING WINE GLASSES AND WEARING SAFETY HELMETS, SMILING AND POSING FOR CAMERA WOMAN LAUGHING AND HOLDING WINE GLASS, WOMEN HOLDING TOOLS (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) SMASH ROOM RIGA OWNER, KRISTAPS ZALITIS, SAYING: "Today for the first time here there are bachelorette parties, but actually the majority of visitors are couples, young people, who work daily at the computer. They come sober, come here by car, they are very punctual and organised. They come, do their thing, and - then it's thank you and so long, they go away. But the conclusion is that afterwards they are relaxed, glad and happy, and this is the main thing." WOMAN SMASHING OBJECT, WOMAN TAKING A PHOTO WOMEN STANDING OUTSIDE RAGE ROOM, CHEERING (AUDIO OF OBJECT BREAKING) WOMEN LEAVING RAGE ROOM, THANKING OWNER RIGA, LATVIA (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA IEVA BITE SITTING DOWN IN LIBRARY BITE TURNING PAGES IN BOOK (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA, IEVA BITE, SAYING: "We can learn that this is the way to cope with emotions, and after all if I smash one object then why not start smashing something else? And, I think, there is a lot of research on how by modelling aggressive behaviour people become aggressive themselves, by observing that behaviour in others. And moreover, if they regularly learn to use aggressive destructive behaviour, then why should they not do it next time? Of course, the risk is that there is short-term relief. Maybe this is something very special, what they acquire and there is adrenaline and everything else which often gives us special sensations and in order to get these sensations again, we will do it again, but it is destructive." RIGA, LATVIA (OCTOBER 5, 2019) (REUTERS) MAN HITTING MUG WITH GOLF CLUB MAN THROWING BOWL AGAINST WALL, BOWL SHATTERING MAN HITTING FLOWER POT WITH GOLF CLUB
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2019 10:46
- Keywords: Latvia Riga rage room effects of anger and violence anger therapy psychology
- Location: RIGA, LATVIA
- City: RIGA, LATVIA
- Country: Latvia
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001B08LJ5L
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Stressed-out Latvians can now unwind in destructive style in a new 'rage room' in a garage in Riga, where visitors can relieve stress by smashing objects for a fixed fee.
'Smash Room Riga' owner Kristaps Zalitis said his initial idea was only to provide a place where people could have fun, but later found people were coming to vent their stress built up from their everyday lives.
Zalitis said the majority of people visiting the attraction were either single people or couples, typically younger people working in office jobs on computers.
Customers said they thought it was a good way of discharging their pent-up emotions and that the experience left them at ease and with a "light heart".
Visitors get a choice of various tools to smash with and only pay for the items they've destroyed with costs ranging from 2 euros for a plate or vase, 35 euros for a TV, to 200 euros for a piano.
But University of Latvia psychology professor Ieva Bite said that although time spent in the rage room might bring relief in the short term, the adrenaline rush gained from smashing items could lead to people being tempted to repeat this "aggressive, destructive behaviour".
(Production: Janis Laizans, Dominik Starosz) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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