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Chinese App "Are You Dead?" Fights Loneliness Amid Demographic Crisis

A new app called "Are You Dead?" developed by Moonscape Technologies allows solo dwellers in China to check in daily; if they miss two consecutive days, an alert is sent to a designated emergency contact. The app emerges against a backdrop of record low marriage rates, high divorces, and a shrinking birthrate, with projections of 200 million single-person households by 2030. It taps into anxieties about dying alone, exacerbated by China's stressful "996" work culture that fosters social isolation. Co-founder Ian Lü hopes the app, which mental health experts endorse, will draw global attention to the safety issues of people living alone.

Key Points: "Are You Dead?" App Tackles China's Loneliness Crisis

  • App alerts contacts after missed check-ins
  • Targets record low marriages & solo living
  • Addresses "996" work culture isolation
  • Part of global solo-living phenomenon
  • Links to China's demographic challenges
3 min read

New Chinese app looks to tackle global loneliness crisis

A new Chinese app alerts emergency contacts if users don't check in, addressing isolation in a society with record low marriages and rising solo living.

"This app makes people feel alive. - RedNote user"

New Delhi, Jan 22

Amid falling marriages and birth rates, and many living an isolated life in China, a new app is seeking to fight loneliness, according to a media report.

The Are You Dead? app developed by a company called Moonscape Technologies enables individuals living alone or single to be in touch with a designated emergency contact, the Guardian reported.

The company, which describes it as "a lightweight safety tool crafted for solo dwellers", allows users to check in once a day by clicking a large green button. If the user misses two consecutive days of check-ins, the app will send an automated alert to a designated emergency contact.

The app comes as more people in their 20s and 30s are living alone in China. The report noted that in 2024, a record low of 6.1 million couples got married in the country, while 2.6 million couples filed for divorce.

In addition, the country is witnessing a significant decline in birthrate, creating demographic challenges as the population shrinks each year. By 2030, there could be as many as 200 million single-person households, according to Chinese state media.

In such a scenario, the Are You Dead? app has tapped into people's anxiety of dying alone, with no one even to bury them.

"This app makes people feel alive. It is an interesting phenomenon that reflects and combats the loneliness of young people today," the report quoted a user on RedNote, a social media platform that is predominantly used by women, as saying.

According to Ian Lü, one of the co-founders of Moonscape Technologies, the idea for Are You Dead? came to him while browsing on Chinese social media.

"In recent years, there has been wide and heated discussion about a hypothetical 'are you dead' app," Lü said. "For example, something with features like: if you don't check in for 48 hours, someone will come and collect your body."

The report also cited China's notorious "996" work culture -- meaning workers toil from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week -- as a major factor for stress and social isolation.

The new app, thus, is becoming a tool to combat feelings of isolation, which also builds up anxiety, stress, and a sense of helplessness, the report said, with mental health experts also vouching for the app, "that will help connect to other people".

"This new 'living alone' group is a global phenomenon. I hope the whole world can pay attention to the safety issues of people living alone," Lü said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
While the app idea is interesting, it feels like a digital band-aid on a deep societal wound. Falling marriages and birth rates point to bigger issues—economic pressure, lack of work-life balance. An app can't fix that. We should focus on the root causes, not just the symptoms.
A
Aman W
The name "Are You Dead?" is quite blunt! 😅 But it highlights a real fear. In India, we're lucky to have stronger family structures usually, but urban migration is changing that. Maybe we need our own version that's less morbid—like "Sab Badiya?" (Is everything good?).
S
Sarah B
As someone living away from family for work, I can see the utility. Sometimes weeks go by without a proper check-in from anyone. A simple automated nudge to a friend could make a difference. Mental health is a global issue that needs more attention.
V
Vikram M
The stats are shocking. 200 million single-person households by 2030? It shows how modern life is pushing people apart. Technology created this isolation (endless scrolling, WFH), and now we need more technology to solve it. A bit ironic, but if it helps, why not.
K
Kavya N
Respectfully, I have to criticize the approach. This app treats people like tasks to be checked off. Real connection comes from meaningful relationships, not automated alerts. We should encourage people to build real communities, not just digital safety nets. The solution feels very impersonal.

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