tech
January 13, 2026
‘Are You Dead?’ app goes viral in China (VIDEO)
Paid app ‘Si Le Ma’, which alerts an emergency contact if users go silent, has gone viral in China
TL;DR
- An app named 'Si Le Ma' ('Are You Dead?') has become the top paid download on Apple's App Store in China.
- The app requires users to press a button daily to confirm they are alive; failure to do so for two consecutive days triggers an alert to an emergency contact.
- Its popularity highlights rising social concerns driven by China's demographic shifts, including more young people living alone and an expanding elderly population facing isolation.
- One co-creator stated the app targets young people, particularly women around 25, living alone in major cities, addressing their loneliness and fears of unforeseen events.
- China has experienced three consecutive years of population decline and a decrease in marriage rates, leading to a rise in one-person households.
- Projections suggest China could have 200 million one-person households by 2030.
- A government survey indicated a significant increase in the number of Chinese aged 60 and above living alone or with only a spouse.
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