World News for Students of English

21-01-2026 07:00

In China, millions of people now pay for an app that asks them one simple question each day: “Are you dead?”

The app targets people who live alone and worry that no one will notice if something bad happens to them. Users tap once a day to show they are safe. If they don’t respond for two days, the app sends a message to chosen contacts.

Since it started last year, the app has become one of the most popular paid apps in the country. The app shows a big social change. More people in China live alone because fewer people marry, and many older adults live without family. Often, work contacts notice problems sooner than relatives. Experts say people feel more alone today, even though digital communication is everywhere.

Studies show loneliness affects people of all ages. Online contact cannot fully replace a real human connection. Time with other people in real life still matters most for feeling connected and well.

Difficult words: target (a person or group something is made for), relative (a family member), loneliness (feeling alone and disconnected).

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