A viral app that helps people check if their friends are alive sparks discussions about loneliness in China

A viral app in China that checks if users are alive is sparking frank conversations about loneliness and isolation.

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• "Are you dead?" — a Chinese app that alerts an emergency contact if users go silent — has gone viral.
• Its popularity has triggered debate about loneliness and living alone in China.
• A user on RedNote said they "sense a deep loneliness" behind the app's success.

An app that asks a blunt question — "Are you dead?" — has become a hit in China.