India, May 31 -- Tears have never been so profitable.

Influencers on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X are making millions on the strength of videos in which they cry about. how much they love their mother, how heartbroken they are, how tragic their lives have turned out.

It's being called "sadbait", and the term has interesting roots too. "Sadbait" evolved from "sadfishing", coined by journalist Rebecca Reid in 2019, in an article about a Kendall Jenner video. Jenner had posted an angst-filled series of clips about her "debilitating" struggle with acne, in what turned out to be a marketing gimmick for a skincare product.

Sadbait is different in one key respect: it isn't manufactured grief aimed at selling a product or an idea ("I'm sor...