An entire sub-industry has developed on the Chinese social media landscape in the form of praise groups, where Chinese netizens can pay others to give them compliments and likes online, costing anywhere from one to thirty dollars depending on the praise service required. Praise groups are particularly popular with university students who are facing immense pressure and stress and need some relief and positivity in their lives. Although the long term positive psychological effect is questionable, the rise of such a business is a peculiar scenario in the online world that is proving to be a great money-maker. Steve and Ben examine the phenomenon of praise groups, as well as recapping Facebook’s continuing woes and asking the general question whether the social media giant still has its act together.

Listen to the audio version of this episode at this link: MP3 Audio (RSS)