It’s 10:00 PM. Does your phone know you’re alive?

An app with a funny name and quite possibly the most simple concept is taking off globally. “Are You Dead?” (or Demumu) is a Chinese app that checks in with people living alone to ensure that they’re… well, not dead. Once a day you press a button telling the app that you’re okay. If you miss a check-in for two consecutive days, the app notifies your emergency contact. That’s it. 

The rise of single-person households can partially explain Demumu’s rapid growth in China as well as internationally. People living alone in China make up 20% of all households, an increase of 5% over the past decade. Naturally, there is a concern for solo dwellers that, should something happen to you, there would be no way of getting help.

But Demumu’s website takes it a step further, referring to a social phenomenon of particular concern across Asia called “kodokushi,” or “unnoticed deaths.” While morbid, it seems as though the very specific anxiety around dying without anyone knowing could be driving downloads. There’s a lot to unpack there. 

Demumu is marketed primarily as a safety app, but could it be doing emotional labor beyond providing reassurance? In addition to the safety concerns, people who live alone or are physically separated from social networks by long distances may be more susceptible to loneliness. On a micro-scale, Demumu could be giving users the tiniest feeling of (para)social connection.

Quoted in a WARC article, the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute noted that “being noticed is a minimal form of social recognition, a confirmation that one’s existence registers in the social world.” How does this impact users psychologically? 

For us, it sparked a thought – what exactly is the emotional experience of loneliness? This question requires some deep digging. And for marketers, answering this question can help brands tailor solutions and messaging to fill this growing need with consumers.