"The app 'Are You Dead?' exposed the unease felt by many Chinese urbanites, highlighting the depths of a major social problem facing China today: loneliness."
"In a country of 1.4 billion people, many of them crammed into densely packed cities, loneliness may seem like an unlikely concern."
"China's rapid economic progress and adoption of new technologies have transformed the country from an agrarian, family-based society to an urban, industrial one."
"The alienating pressures of city life, together with a culture that often encourages competition and status obsession, have created a prevailing sense of uncertainty, insecurity, and isolation."
The app 'Are You Dead?' became popular in China as a tool for young people living alone to check in with friends. It required users to press a button every 48 hours, notifying contacts if they failed to do so. The app's removal by Apple, following a directive from China's cyberspace watchdog, underscored the government's sensitivity to public sentiment regarding loneliness. Rapid urbanization and cultural shifts have led to increased feelings of isolation among young workers, revealing a significant social issue in contemporary China.
Read at The Atlantic
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