In a world where the naming of products is becoming an ever more poetic exercise, a new smartphone application has quickly topped the list with a title that matches the crudeness of its use. ‘Are You Dead?’ is the title of the application that quickly topped the list of paid applications in China. The application does one thing: it allows you to check in so you aren’t forgotten when you are dead.
However, the first use of the application will remain relatively simple, although the popularity of the application indicates that much more could be involved than meets the eye. The truth of the matter is that more than 100 million one-person families exist in the year 2024 in China, and it seems likely that the number of families in China will increase to almost 200 million in the year 2030. This would indicate that many young, single persons, students, and elderly persons in China could not be found in the event of a medical emergency.
The other co-founder, 29-year-old Ian Lü, even patterned his app on his own experience being alone in Shenzhen. It’s not necessary for you to send messages every day just for people to know that you are still alive. That’s why we created a frictionless way for people to connect, Lü said.
Though this service does pay homage to notification tools for seniors elsewhere in the world, “Are You Dead?” has proven to be much more well-liked among the younger crowd. This service has been considered either a macabre joke on Facebook check-ins, something that is carried out in a private capacity that is not shared with public disclosure, or as a way to retain dignity even in death, ensuring that, in the worst possible scenario, their loved ones are notified.
However, this humor comes with some cultural clashes. The name of the app in Chinese, “Sileme,” actually translates back to the word “death.” Death itself has always been a part of Chinese culture, to the point where the number four is never used because it sounds like the word “death.” Others have complained that the name could be more respectful, such as “Are You OK?” Perhaps the point-blank nature of the greeting is what has made the app so successful, where the greeting itself can be seen as an inside joke among friends. It is publicity that has brought this application into the international arena.
There has been a tremendous increase in downloads in Singapore, Netherlands, UK, India, and USA because of Chinese expatriates. The international release of this application was called “Demumu” to overcome the language barrier. However, they have since confessed that renaming this application was not well received. They have since held a competition where the prize money is for ideas on renaming.
But the emergence of this application also shows that there is a transformation in the value of lifestyle for the younger generation in China. There is also something called “the lying flat spirit,” and this is that instead of living their life in a fast pace, they now live it in their own pace. For those who are users of this application, it is neither morbid nor anything to do with death. They are all about discreetly dealing with the dangers of having to be independent. As one application designer in Shanghai said: “However, experts say that technology must never substitute human interaction.
The popularity of this application, according to experts, is actually the best time to deal with the sense of loneliness that the younger and older generation experience whenever they are alone in their homes. Whatever application chooses to retain as its title, be it “Are You Dead?” or something less morbid, it seems that it is the success of this application that has begun to stir public debate on issues related to safety and how people communicate that they are alive.”
