“Rage-Baiting” Games Fuels Short-Form Video Success, “Gaming Addiction Rehab” Courses Charge $66,800 for 7 Days

CNBC AI News – July 29 – A disturbing trend is emerging on short-form video platforms, with influencers leveraging anti-gaming sentiment to build a following and, ultimately, hefty revenue streams. Recent reports highlight accounts built on the premise of criticizing video games, often escalating parental anxieties. This, in turn, fuels demand for supposedly corrective “internet addiction” programs, some of which are charging exorbitant fees – upwards of $66,800 for a mere seven-day course.

An investigation by media outlets scrutinizing over a dozen family education and “internet addiction” rehabilitation accounts revealed a strikingly similar playbook.

These influencers often employ a strategy of first amplifying parental fears surrounding gaming and screen time. They then capitalize on this heightened anxiety by aggressively denouncing video games and smartphones. This negativity serves as a springboard to position themselves as authoritative “family education experts” or “golden standard coaches,” cultivating an image of specialized knowledge and solutions.

The ultimate endgame? Selling parents expensive programs and so-called “success” methodologies promising to “rehabilitate” their children from alleged addiction. These courses often carry price tags in the tens of thousands, incentivizing parents to send their children to these purveyors of questionable remedies.

Adding a veneer of credibility, these individuals prominently display titles in their videos, such as “Author of X Book” or “Founder of Y Education Enterprise,” strategically positioning themselves.

In one instance, a journalist contacted one of these purported “experts” only to discover that the individual did not even possess a basic teaching certification, raising serious questions about their qualifications and the efficacy of their services.

The question remains: Are these self-proclaimed “education masters” genuinely offering viable educational solutions under the guise of “saving the children,” or is this simply a cynical scheme designed to exploit vulnerable parents and line their own pockets?