The Chinese app Are You Dead? was released in May last year, but has only recently started gaining popularity. It works on a very simple principle and has only one button.
The Chinese app Are You Dead? was released in May last year, but has only recently started gaining popularity. It works on a very simple principle and has only one button.
The app has attracted a lot of attention in recent weeks from young people who live in Chinese cities, the BBC reports, becoming the most popular paid app in the country.
Are You Dead? users are required to press a large button every two days to confirm they are alive. If they don’t, the app will contact a designated contact person and let them know that the user may be in trouble.
According to research, there could be up to 200 million single-person households in China by 2030. This is the audience targeted by the Are You Dead? app, which describes itself as «a safety companion… whether you’re a lone office worker, a student living away from home, or anyone who has chosen a solitary lifestyle.»
«There is a fear that people who live alone could die unnoticed, with no one to call for help. Sometimes I wonder if I die alone, who will take my body?» wrote one social media user.
Many have criticized the app’s somber name, with some users fearing that signing up for it could bring bad luck. Others have called for it to be changed to something more positive, such as «Are you okay?» or «How are you?»
While the app’s success may have been partly fueled by its catchy name, Moonscape Technologies, the company that developed it, said it was listening to criticism and considering options for a name change.
Recall that earlier the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine developed an official state mobile application for quick communication with all emergency services «112 Ukraine».
