Featured Image Credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images
Topics: World News, Technology, Apple
Jen Thomas
Living alone is great for the most part, if it's by choice, but for some people it can be very lonely.
Getting to watch whatever you want on telly, never arguing about who left the towels on the floor, and going to bed when you like are some of the positives, but there are also undoubtedly some risks.
If you're not close with any family or friends, it is possible to go for a long time without checking in with anybody, especially if there was an accident, illness or injury.
To try and conquer this, an app has been released in China, shockingly (and rather morbidly) called Are You Dead?
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Called 'Sile Me' in Chinese and listed internationally under the name 'Demumu', it requires you to 'check in' on the app daily.
If you manage to go for more than two days without successfully checking in, the app will send a message to an emergency contact, as chosen by you, in order for them to essentially do a welfare check and make sure you're still in the land of the living.
The app has gone viral in China, where more young people than ever before are reportedly choosing to live alone over getting married and starting a family.
It's also proving popular with the elderly, who may have become more isolated as time goes by.
China recorded a third consecutive year of population decline in 2024.
According to the Financial Times, the number of people living in a solo house household more than doubled between 2004 and 2024, rising to 19.5 percent.
One of the creators of the app, known only by Lyu, told local media that it was particularly aimed at young women around the age of 25 living in a big city.
Lyu said this age group was mostly likely to 'experience a strong sense of loneliness due to the lack of people to communicate with' as well as experiencing 'worries about unforeseen events occurring without anyone knowing'.
After news of the app was shared on social media, people were quick to reveal their thoughts.
One user commenter joked: “I keep reading it as 'Are You Dead Yet?'”
A second added: “Don't check in, then you're always guaranteed visitors.”
A solo resident praised the idea, confessing: “Genuinely was thinking of this the other day. The only reason being is so that I know someone will know to come take care of my fur babies.”
However, some people thought it was a sad sign of the times, with another user writing: “It's quite telling of the state of society that we even got to that point where such an app is necessary...”
Someone else argued many people aren't choosing to live alone, noting: “These people do not choose to live alone, not get married, not have kids, most are forced to due to social circumstances e.g. lack of jobs and money hence not being able to buy a home or support a family.”
However, others praised it as 'fantastic', saying it would help reduce the stress of living alone.