Rise in emotional economy: China ‘love-brained’ youth seek strangers’ scolding for guidance
People obsessed with love pay for tongue-lashing from self-styled influencers; some consider growing trend a form of ‘public humiliation’
On a popular social media live-stream a young girl pours her heart out to a stranger.
She is highly educated, comes from a wealthy family, but has fallen head over heels for a man 10 years her senior who is poor and does not love her.
The live-streaming influencer, Taozai, responds not with sympathy, but with something far more jarring:
“Not only do you have a ‘love brain’, you also subconsciously discriminate against people with lower education and the poor. You discriminate against others, and others will not love you. This is karma; you deserve it.”
To others, this may seem like public humiliation, but for many young people who have self-diagnosed as being “love-brained” in China, it is an emotional release.
The bizarre ritual is quickly spreading across the internet, with thousands flocking to live-streams, paid courses and influencers who offer “scolding” services.