It's not just about viral videos. People in general is being educated to trade being with possessing in the pursuit of an immediate short time satisfaction (which is sad because someone could take away what you have but not what you are). So it makes perfectly sense to me that driving people into sadness, paranoia etc. in many ways (news, music, movies etc.) could also be not just exploited but willingly planned for business reasons. This goes beyond the obvious "someone could invade the country -> buy more weapons" or "the big one quake/tsunami/plague etc. is coming soon -> amass food and stuff"; if people is being driven into thinking their life is miserable or they're in danger, most of them will seek immediate gratification by buying more of this or that.