The interpretation of interaction terms (and first-order terms in the presence of interactions) is something that is taught to bachelor students in the social s

The interpretation of interaction terms (and first-order terms in the presence of interactions) is something that is taught to bachelor students in the social sciences all the time. I'm not going to say it's entirely straightforward and I'm sure lots of people get it wrong, but it's not rocket science. If people jump in and use a technique without having a clue about how it's supposed to be used (and I'm sure there are plenty -- I agree with you on that), then that's ultimately their own stupid fault.