Recently, a mobile application called “Are You Dead Yet” designed for the solitary population has topped the Apple App Store’s paid utilities chart, with a short-term increase in downloads by 100 times, mainly among young adults. On social media platforms, there is a large amount of discussion about how the last safeguard for the survival of solitary individuals relies on an app rather than the support of social security, causing feelings of loss and helplessness. Data shows that China’s welfare expenditure accounts for only 6% of GDP, lower than many emerging and developed economies.
“Are You Dead Yet” is a lightweight “solitary safety reminder” tool designed for solitary individuals. Its functionality is simple: users need to set emergency contacts and check-in daily. If a user fails to check in for two consecutive days, the system automatically sends an email to the emergency contact.
On January 10th at 10:00 AM, the app surged to the number one spot in the paid app download ranking on the Apple Store.
The founder, Mr. Guo, told Lanjing News reporters last weekend, “The growth started these past two days, with downloads increasing over 100 times compared to before.” He also disclosed plans to sell 10% of the company for 1 million RMB. By this calculation, the app’s valuation has reached 10 million RMB.
According to Mr. Guo, the project started around mid-2025, and the actual development of the app took less than a month, with an initial investment cost of just over 1,000 RMB. The development team originally consisted of three members, all born after 1995.
Public information shows that the “Are You Dead Yet” app was developed by Yuejing (Zhengzhou) Technical Service Co., Ltd., positioned as a lightweight solitary safety tool. It is currently only available on Apple’s App Store, with no release on the Android system, and the pricing has been adjusted from free to 8 RMB.
Regarding the name and initial intention, founder Mr. Guo told Lanjing reporters that the app’s creativity and name came from discussions among young users in online communities. They expressed worries about sudden accidents while living alone in big cities and hoped for an app named “Are You Dead Yet” to solve this issue.
According to the Shell Research Institute’s “New Era of Solitary Living Report,” by 2024, China’s solitary population had reached 123 million, a 5.2% increase from the same period in 2023. Among them, the solitary population of singles aged 20-29, 30-39, and 40-49 is approximately 45 million, 38 million, and 27 million, respectively. This means that the solitary population of young adults aged 20-50 has reached 110 million, accounting for 90% of the solitary population. In 2019, China’s solitary population was nearly 90 million, and it is expected to reach 150 to 200 million by 2030.
On the social media platform Douyin, searching for “Are You Dead Yet” as a keyword in the past 24 hours yields over 70 videos. As for the reason behind the popularity of “Are You Dead Yet,” commentator Tang Xiaolan believes that the fear of “dying alone” has become a common psychological anxiety for solitary individuals, making safety alerts a pressing need.
Tang posted on Monday, stating that contemporary society’s rapid population mobility has eroded traditional geographical and kinship communities, leading to “dying alone” becoming a widespread psychological anxiety for solitary individuals. The state of having to handle everything alone, from sudden illnesses in the middle of the night, moving house solo, no one to sign for elderly medical treatment, to potential risks hidden in outdated appliances, makes safety alerts an essential requirement.
On the Douyin social platform, the prevailing sentiment is that the last security measure for survival relies on an app rather than the support of family and social security, causing feelings of loss and helplessness.
A post by Netease account “Kelly Economic Observation” on Monday stated that when this need for “confirming one’s existence” is pushed to the forefront, it not only reflects the deep-rooted “sense of loss” and pessimism in society but also resembles a substantial livelihood test paper that directly points out the depth and breadth of China’s social security coverage.
Blogger “Minshun Views the World” mentioned in a video that some say this is the “anxiety economy,” but if there were better options, who would want to be reminded daily by an app if they are “dead yet”? The app’s popularity reminds us that when living alone becomes the norm, what Chinese people need is not just an app but a warm societal support system.
Independent scholar Lai Jianping expressed to New Tang Dynasty, “Mainly because China has not established a universal institutional security system. So whether it’s the old, the young, or even many young people, they are worried and lack a sense of security.”
Lai Jianping said, “Life is unpredictable for anyone. Apart from human-made disasters, natural disasters are also one of the elements they need to guard against. Factors such as forced disappearances, organ harvesting, falling victim to fraud rings, or even being kidnapped abroad could happen. All of these factors, combined, prompt some young people to use such tools.”
Mainland Chinese university teacher Ms. Wang told New Tang Dynasty that Chinese people tend to avoid talking about “death,” but this app has still gained popularity, reflecting many people’s despair towards society. She noticed that many middle-aged and elderly people consider talking about “death” as unlucky, so she estimated that more young people are downloading the “Are You Dead Yet” app.
Ms. Wang said, “Chinese young people feel they have no way out and face a dark future. Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the economy is declining, jobs are scarce, life is difficult, they can’t get married, can’t afford to buy a house, and most people just rent a place.”
In reality, China’s welfare expenditure is minimal. The UK media outlet Financial Times had reported last year, citing World Bank data, that China’s welfare spending on healthcare and social security for the general public accounted for only 6% of GDP, lagging behind most members of the BRICS countries and lower than many other emerging and developed economies.
The above-mentioned article from “Kelly Economic Observation” states that China’s fiscal expenditure is mainly directed towards macro infrastructure and new quality productivity, with very little allocation towards individual micro aspects. China’s fiscal spending should translate into accessible community smart supervision, visible psychological support on the streets, and certainty to lift everyone up promptly when in distress.
Analysts believe that with inadequate social security in China, people’s psychological defense mechanisms will spontaneously activate, leading to increased precautionary savings and reduced willingness to consume. The recent surge in popularity of the “Are You Dead Yet” app indicates widespread pessimism about the future among the public and deep-seated anxiety regarding personal safety.