Buy IQ and buy good luck! Why have virtual emotional products become the new favorite of young people?

This article explores the rise and development of virtual emotional products in the digital age, revealing how such products meet modern people's needs for spiritual comfort and emotional resonance. By analyzing the market status, user psychology and future trends of virtual emotional products, the article shows how they have become part of emotional life in the digital age and predicts the huge market potential in this field. For readers interested in emerging consumer trends, digital marketing and modern social models, this article provides unique insights and deep insights.

Preface: Are virtual emotional products becoming the new favorite of young people?

With the rapid development of the digital age, a new type of product, virtual emotion products, has emerged and quickly occupied a place in the market. From "Einstein's brain" to social platforms in virtual reality, virtual emotion products not only provide users with psychological comfort and companionship, but also open up new social models and emotional consumption methods. This article explores the market status, user psychological needs and future development prospects of virtual emotion products, reveals how they have become a part of people's emotional life in the digital age, and predicts the huge potential market in this field.

"Einstein's brain", "beauty spray", "bad luck goes away", "scold to wake up the love brain", "brain for provincial exams"... Under the sweeping wave of digitalization, we not only moved data and information to the cloud, but also unexpectedly gave birth to a new form of commodity - virtual emotional products. They seem tricky and weird, but close to our lives; seemingly unrealistic, but have a wonderful power to make people happy. What exactly makes these invisible and intangible products stir up waves in the market? What is the market prospect of virtual emotional products?

1. Can you make money through virtual satisfaction?

Before we discuss this field, let us first explain what virtual emotional products are for those who have not had time to "surf". In short, they are digital products or services provided through the Internet platform that can trigger emotional resonance in consumers, and are related to "intelligence", "appearance", "luck", "trickery"... Although they look a bit weird, they can give people a sense of satisfaction that is difficult to obtain in real life in a relaxed and humorous way.

For example, you only need to spend a negligible 0.5 yuan to experience the enhanced effect of the virtual product "Einstein's Brain", as if you instantly possess the wisdom of this great scientist. The whole operation process is simple and pleasant. Once the purchase is completed, no other operation is required, and the promise takes effect immediately. As for the real effect of the product, it depends entirely on personal belief. If you believe it, it will work, and if you don't believe it, it won't work.

In addition, you can also order a "virtual mosquito" to give to a friend (not shipped), and imagine that it will appear next to your friend from time to time, giving your friend an unexpected "surprise"; during the peak job-hunting period, you can also buy a bottle of offer lucky spray. Although it cannot really bring you a job opportunity, it can give you more courage and confidence in job hunting; you can also buy a "awakening love brain" service for your girlfriend who is experiencing emotional troubles, so that a caring "chat partner" can help them get out of their emotional predicament...

The process of scolding love brain service

The price of virtual emotional products usually ranges from 1 cent to 5 yuan, providing an immediate, convenient, and low-cost "emotional antidote" for young people in need. Although these products mainly provide psychological comfort rather than actual material value, they have indeed been successful in the market. For example, the monthly sales of "Einstein's Brain" on a certain e-commerce platform reached 120,000 orders, while the annual sales of "Wild Mosquito" exceeded 1 million.

"Einstein's Brain" even made it to the list of Taobao's top ten products in 2023. It is listed alongside products such as "The Art of War", "Soy Sauce Latte", "Zhuozhou Book Refueling Pack", "Horse-faced Skirt", "Cross Shoes", and "Plum Sauce". "Einstein's Brain" was selected for the first time as a virtual product, reflecting the popularity of virtual emotional products and showing the emerging consumption trends that cannot be ignored.

Virtual emotional products exist in the Internet ecosystem in a highly creative, low-cost, and highly resonant form. These products can help people forget their troubles for a short time and gain emotional comfort and psychological satisfaction. Whether it is a desire for wisdom and progress or a humorous response to real-life pressure, these products have attracted a large number of young consumers with their unique emotional value.

2. Spiritual Self-Pleasure, Social Carnival and Digital Survival

Why are young people willing to pay for a product that seems to have no practical use?

1. Spiritual self-satisfaction, creating new consumption with spiritual satisfaction

Zhimeng's 2024 China Consumption Trend Survey shows that 64% of consumers pay more attention to spiritual consumption. The consumption concept of young consumers has evolved from "pleasing oneself" to "spiritual pleasing oneself", and they pay more attention to emotional satisfaction, sensory pleasure, self-construction and the spiritual space they can bring to themselves in consumption. Among the hot topics in 2023, Einstein's brain, dopamine wear, electronic wooden fish, cyber incense, city walk, finding a partner, workplace crazy literature... are all strongly related to emotional consumption and spiritual carnival.

More and more consumers feel that individual spiritual satisfaction comes not only from the pursuit of elegant environment, exquisite appearance, and high-end lifestyle, but also from inner identity and spiritual pleasure. Virtual emotional products provide such emotional satisfaction, without the need to fill material needs with tangible items. Just buying what you like and feeling moved for a moment is enough.

2. Social carnival, promoting emotional diffusion through interactive communication

The emotional bond established between consumers and virtual emotional products or services is the main manifestation of their value. On the one hand, this stems from the fun, emotional support and decompression functions of the products, as well as the unique consumer experience. For example, some popular virtual products on e-commerce platforms, such as "Einstein's Brain" or "Emotional Tree Hole", although they do not have actual use value, consumers can have a relaxed and nonsensical chat with customer service after purchasing them, thereby gaining emotional satisfaction and pleasure. Consumers can also use the purchase of virtual emotional products as a social joke, share it with their friends, and get emotional x2 fun.

On the other hand, the interactive communication in the community promotes the transmission of emotions and the diversity of emotions. Interactive methods such as likes, comments, and reposts allow members to express their approval or dissent of emotions, thereby promoting the spread of emotions on a larger scale and easily achieving hot sales of products. For example, in the "virtual mosquito" product review area, you can see a large-scale meme scene. "Does your mosquito wear a down jacket?" "It's so real, I was bitten 5 minutes after placing the order."

Discussions sparked by the commercialization of wild mosquitoes

3. Digital survival, reshaping values ​​in the digital age

As natives of the digital age, the consumption behavior of young people is deeply influenced by multiple factors such as personality, interests, and digitalization. Do you still remember the popular Internet "lucky carp" in the early years? The popular "electronic wooden fish" and "cyber incense" some time ago? And those NFTs (digital collections) that sold at sky-high prices?

In the digital age, people's definition of value has changed. From interactions on social media to experiences in virtual reality, digital technology is redefining how we connect, communicate and perceive the world. In this context, virtual emotional products are not only a trend indicator, but also a supplement and extension of traditional emotional consumption methods.

With the rapid advancement of technology and the increasingly fast pace of life, people are increasingly eager to find ways to relax and relieve stress in their busy work and life. Traditional methods can no longer meet the fast pace and personalized needs of modern life, so virtual emotional products have emerged. These products cleverly combine emotional value with virtual form, and establish connections with specific abstract emotions through concrete forms. For example, "Good Luck Spray" symbolizes the wish to bring good luck, while the "Scold to Wake Up Love Brain" service is designed to help consumers get out of irrational love dilemmas. Virtual emotional products not only meet people's needs for novel experiences, but also provide rich support and comfort at the emotional level.

3. What other imaginations do you have for virtual emotional products?

The "virtual emotional products" such as "Einstein's Brain" that are currently popular on the Internet are actually still relatively crude, low-cost primary products. If our imagination stops here, its industrial prospects will be very limited. But if we regard "virtual emotional products" as an important part of the healing economy, we may have a broader perception.

The healing economy is not a strict economic concept. It refers to a new wave of consumption in which contemporary consumers seek spiritual comfort and physical and mental health under multiple pressures. The Global Wellness Institute's report "The Global Wellness Economy: Beyond the Coronavirus" predicts that the global healing economy will grow at a rate of about 10% per year, and by 2027, the market size of the healing economy will reach 7 trillion US dollars. Bain, a well-known consulting firm, also mentioned in "Eight Models that Influence the Future Economy": Chinese consumers are actively seeking various channels to obtain emotional support, looking for various alternative ways of companionship and stress-relieving experiences to heal themselves.

Driven by the wave of digitalization, emotional consumption is no longer limited to the material level, but extends to the virtual world, weaving a new consumption landscape together with virtual emotional products. These virtual emotional products, with the help of advanced technology, cleverly integrate emotions, feelings and experiences, allowing people to deeply feel the real emotional resonance in the virtual space. They not only meet people's needs for emotional expression, but also become an excellent way to relieve stress and heal oneself, injecting more emotional colors into modern life.

Combining the core of the healing economy, how should virtual emotional products develop in the future? We may explore from the following directions:

1. Innovation and integration with technology

For example, through AR and VR technology, virtual emotional products can provide a more immersive experience. Users can enter a new virtual environment and experience different emotions and scenes in this environment. For example, when a user feels anxious, the AR device can draw an art therapy space according to the user's personal preferences, showing a tranquil seaside scene or a cute virtual pet to soothe the user's mood. For users with emotional disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder, AR can also use AI technology to convert sad moments into gorgeous video images for display, giving people a different experience and achieving the effect of art therapy. This experience will be far more real and profound than existing "virtual emotional products".

2. Moving towards personalization and customization

Using AI technology, future virtual emotion products may have more advanced emotion recognition capabilities, accurately perceive and understand users' emotional needs, and respond accordingly, such as recommending virtual scenes or music with soothing effects. Users can also customize the content and form of virtual emotion products according to their preferences and needs. This customization is not limited to visual and auditory elements, but may also include interactive methods, storylines, etc. This highly customized service not only satisfies consumers' emotions at a deeper level, but also greatly enhances their participation in the emotional consumption process.

3. Enhance social interaction and sharing

Imagine that virtual emotional products may develop into a social experience shared by multiple people. Users can enter a virtual environment with friends and family to experience specific emotional scenes together and enhance the emotional connection between each other. The community provides a series of emotional healing resources and tools, such as meditation guidance, relaxing music, emotional counseling courses, etc., to help users relieve stress and adjust their emotions.

Users can also create and share their own virtual emotional products. These products can be virtual items that represent specific emotions, such as "Happy Halo" and "Tranquility Oasis", or interactive emotional healing applications, such as the "Mind Massage" applet or the "Emotional Palette" game. Users can set the appearance, functions and emotional value of the product according to their preferences and needs. Other users can browse, like, comment or purchase these products, thus forming a product market full of creativity and emotional resonance. This kind of community is not only a platform for sharing and obtaining creativity, but also a space for enhancing emotional communication and understanding.

Freed from the constraints of traditional physical products, virtual emotional products can take on a variety of forms. These products are usually favored by users for their exquisite visual design, intimate interactive experience and precise user positioning. Not only that, they are often equipped with advanced algorithms that can provide personalized emotional support based on user behavior and preferences, thus creating an unprecedented spiritual massage experience.

In short, the future of virtual emotional products is full of infinite possibilities. The key lies in how to combine advanced technology with human emotional needs, meet users' more complex and deep psychological needs, and create products that are truly beneficial to users.

Conclusion

Virtual emotional products are like a strange plant in the digital forest. Although they are rooted in digitalization, they bloom flowers of emotional resonance. In this new era full of possibilities, whether they can grow into towering trees or be short-lived still needs the test of the market and the proof of time.

Author: Jianming; Editor: Shi Guang; Editor: Bandao

WeChat public account: Sanchuanhui Cultural Industry (ID: schwhcy)