I would count reddit indirectly as a site that rewards engagement. I'm pretty sure a lot of ragebait is generated to be read by Microsoft Sam or over Minecraft footage later.
Even if something is clearly bait, it still might be worth pushing back against. All internet arguments, bait or not, are principly about the audience, not the person you're responding to. I honestly don't care what someone's motivation is. If someone says bad shit uncontested, people start believing it.
This even applies to someone saying something to troll. If they tell a lie often enough, they tend to internalize it. If you actually want to influence a troll, make them not want to troll there. Give pushback that isn't fun for them to respond to.
We used to call it flamebait and it has existed for decades.
I forgot about flame. Thank you.