"Is He Ghosting You From the Grave?"... Chinese Youth Paying 370,000 Won for Harsh Love Counseling

30 Minutes for 60 Yuan... Paying to Hear "Harsh Advice"
Reprimands Over Empathy Preferred... A Craze Fueled by the "Emotion Economy"

Livestreams and paid counseling sessions that publicly scold people for having a so-called Chinese online buzzword condition known as the “love brain” (戀愛腦) - a state in which one becomes obsessed with love and loses sound judgment - are spreading among young people in China as a new form of emotional healing. Harsh words and reprimands are instead being consumed as a way to vent emotions, and this is rapidly expanding what is being called the “emotion economy.”

AI-generated image to help understand the article. ChatGPT

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 11th (local time), so-called “love-brain scolding” livestreams, in which hosts publicly rebuke viewers who share their romantic troubles, have recently been gaining popularity in China.

In one such livestream, a woman who came from a highly educated and wealthy family confessed that she was distressed about her relationship with an older man who did not love her. The host, influencer Tao Zai, bluntly told her, “You not only have a love brain, you also unconsciously discriminate against people who are poor and less educated,” and added, “You brought this on yourself.”

Although this kind of scene may look like public humiliation, viewers instead responded with empathy and support. “Love-brain scolding” is spreading quickly by tapping into the desire of people who are overly immersed in romantic relationships to wake up to their own condition through someone else’s sharp-tongued criticism.

"Is he in a grave so there’s no signal?"... People paying money to hear harsh words

Tao Zai, known for her abrasive language, has about 2 million followers and offers priority participation in her broadcasts and one-on-one counseling to paid membership subscribers. A one-year membership costs around 1,800 yuan (about 370,000 won). Another influencer, Zhou Rijuan, has also drawn attention for her scathing advice, telling a woman who defended her boyfriend who had cut off contact, “Is he in a grave so there’s no signal?”

Chinese influencer Tao Zai seen conducting dating-advice content on Douyin.

This trend has already entered the commercial stage. On major Chinese e-commerce platforms, there are numerous “love-brain scolding” counseling products on sale, and some shops record more than 3,000 transactions per month. A 30-minute phone consultation is priced at around 60 yuan (about 12,000 won).

Considering that professional psychological counseling in major Chinese cities can cost between 500 and 2,000 yuan per hour, the relatively low price is cited as another reason for its popularity. Among users, some say that “a brief scolding actually helped me move on from the breakup.”

Seeking stronger stimulation than empathy... 'Emotion economy' emerges as a new consumption trend

Experts interpret this phenomenon not as a desire to be humiliated, but as a desire to reflect on oneself through strong stimulation. Zhang Yong, a professor in the Department of Social Work at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, explained, “When people are trapped in negative emotions, strong external feedback rather than gentle empathy can sometimes trigger self-awareness.”

However, there are also concerns that unqualified and unvetted “emotion coaches” could spread distorted views on relationships. In China, beyond romantic counseling, a wide range of emotionally stimulating content - including harsh-tongue study coaching and comforting character-based content - is rapidly spreading, and the “emotion economy” is establishing itself as a new consumer market.