What's with hardship camps?

"Eat Bitterness" camps have emerged as a popular, albeit controversial, trend in China, where parents pay significant fees to send children to rural areas for intense manual labor. These programs, designed to foster resilience and character, require participants to perform tasks like farming and wood-chopping without modern conveniences. While proponents view these camps as a necessary remedy for urban children accustomed to digital dependency and a lack of self-sufficiency, critics argue they function as an expensive "quick fix" for parental anxiety. Evidence suggests that while some children gain perspective, others experience little long-term behavioral change or develop resentment toward labor. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these camps remains debated, with experts emphasizing that meaningful labor education is better achieved through consistent, daily responsibilities rather than short-term, high-pressure environments that may fail to address the root causes of behavioral issues.