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0Erinome: Hello dear friends! Welcome back to our podcast. Today, let's talk about some interesting news. Enceladus, have you heard about a new app called "Si Le Me" recently?
Enceladus: Oh, "Si Le Me"? Wait, what does that mean? It sounds a bit... strange.
Erinome: Yeah, it translates to "Did I Die?" in English. It became really popular online these two days and even got to the top of the paid tools list on Apple App Store!
Enceladus: Oh no, the name is so direct. Why is it popular?
Erinome: It’s a safety tool for people living alone. Users set an emergency contact and check in every day. If they don’t check in for several days, the app will automatically send an email to the emergency contact the next day.
Enceladus: Oh, I see. But at first, many netizens felt uncomfortable with the name, right? They wanted it to change the name.
Erinome: Exactly! But within 24 hours after it got popular, other apps like "Huo Zhao Me" ("Am I Alive?") and "Huo Le Me" ("Did I Live?") were launched too. They also target people living alone and are free to download.
Enceladus: Wow, so quick! That makes me think—maybe their functions aren’t that advanced? Like, check-in features are already common in study or game apps, right?
Erinome: You’re right! Many apps have daily check-ins. But here’s a problem: people often forget to check in for different reasons. So maybe that’s a "bug" for these apps—most people can’t check in like a machine every day, you know?
Enceladus: Yeah, I forget to check in on my study app sometimes, haha. But why do people accept the strange name then?
Erinome: Well, after knowing its function, the "directness" becomes understandable. Let’s look at the data: the proportion of empty-nest elderly in China is 59.7%, with the number exceeding 180 million. And more than 38 million elderly live alone completely!
Enceladus: Wow, that’s a big number. What about young people?
Erinome: According to the 2023 China Statistical Yearbook, in 2022, single-person households accounted for about 16.77%. Among them, young people under 30 living alone make up more than 30%!
Enceladus: Oh, so many people living alone now. Is this a global trend?
Erinome: It seems so. It’s like a result of social development. These apps didn’t invent something new—they just hit a big pain point in society: the risk and worry of living alone. It’s becoming a common anxiety, you know?
Enceladus: I get that. I even have a small habit—when I haven’t talked to a close friend for a while, the first message I send is like "Still alive?" Haha, just joking.
Erinome: That’s funny! And remember, netizens once said "going to the hospital alone" is the "most lonely thing ever"—many people felt that, right?
Enceladus: Yeah, that’s so relatable. So, living alone is a trend, but how to make it safer?
Erinome: Good question. Some people download these apps just to follow the trend, but the real empty-nest elderly might not know about them. Many communities have done things like workers visiting the elderly regularly, or using elevator and door access data to check if they go out normally.
Enceladus: Oh right, technology is just a helper. Real care comes from people, right? Like, some kids working in cities install smart cameras at their parents’ homes in the countryside. They can see their daily life and even chat directly. That’s nice.
Erinome: Exactly! Maybe one day robots can take care of people, but we still need to connect with real people. So, how to make people living alone feel "seen" in real life? That’s worth thinking about.
Enceladus: And instead of using these apps, maybe we can just check in in family groups every day? Or send a "good morning" or "good night" to emergency contacts—even a meme! That has the basic function, right?
Erinome: Haha, that’s a simple way! Okay, let’s talk about one more news: A-share trading volume hit 3.47 trillion yuan, breaking the single-day record!
Enceladus: Wow, that’s a big number. The market must be very active.
Erinome: Yeah, interesting. Alright, that’s all for today’s news. Remember to care about people around you, especially those living alone.
Enceladus: Okay, that's it for today. Let's talk again next time! Bye!
