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0Erinome: Hello everyone, welcome back to our daily news chat! I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. Let's see what interesting things happened today.
Erinome: Okay, first, there is news about an app. Its name is... um, "Demumu". Wow, that's a new name.
Enceladus: Oh, you know that? It was first called "死了么" in Chinese. Haha, what a direct name! It's for people who live alone.
Erinome: Yes. The app asks users to check in every day. If someone doesn't check in for two days, the app will send an email to their emergency contact. Sad, but maybe useful?
Enceladus: It became very popular and was number one on the Apple paid app list. But then, the creator said the real version is not even online yet. They are still working on it.
Erinome: Some people copied this app idea. The real developer had to warn them to stop. You know that?
Enceladus: I see. One user left a comment that got many likes. They said, "This is the first time someone cares if I'm dead or not." Wow.
Erinome: This shows many people live alone now. Data says in China, over 125 million households had just one person in 2020. By 2030, maybe 150 to 200 million people will live alone.
Enceladus: That's a lot. An expert, Zhao Menghan, says this app meets the emotion of lonely people, not a real urgent need. Young people living alone probably won't die, but they worry "what if I die and nobody knows?"
Erinome: Another expert, Li Ziqiu, is a psychologist. He says young people today think more about deep questions, like "who am I?" They don't just accept old ideas, like "you must get married."
Enceladus: Yes. He says being alone for a long time in a bad way can make people numb. They might drink too much, eat too much, or play games too much. It's like falling into mud.
Erinome: But he also thinks talking about loneliness is good. It means young people have more resources to think about important parts of life.
Enceladus: The experts talked about "weak connections." Young people in big cities have many social activities, like "搭子" (dazi) for eating or sports. But these are not deep, close relationships.
Erinome: Right. To fight loneliness, people need stable, close emotional support. Surface social life cannot solve the fear of being alone.
Enceladus: Li Ziqiu says finding a balance is hard. How to be alone but also have some deep, close relationships? This is what many young people want.
Erinome: About the app users, most are women around 25 years old, living alone in big cities. Women might be more careful with strangers but are also better at sharing feelings and asking for help.
Enceladus: Men might find it harder to talk about their feelings. They make more functional friends, like activity partners, but not for emotional support.
Erinome: Living alone for a long time can cause psychological problems. Signs include feeling sad or worried for two weeks, not wanting to do things, sleeping too much or too little.
Enceladus: If someone always avoids social life, suddenly going out can make them very anxious. It becomes a bad cycle. So, it's important to notice these signs early.
Erinome: For people living far from home, it's harder. Their family support is far away. The new friends they make are often "weak connections." They can't easily show their weak side to these new friends.
Enceladus: Some people even chat with AI for company. AI always agrees with you. It can help a little, but it's like an "emotional cocoon." It might make people less willing to seek real human support.
Erinome: The experts say we shouldn't depend too much on digital tools like this app. Real, face-to-face interaction is still very important. It cannot be fully replaced by the virtual world.
Enceladus: Communities can help. They can organize activities based on common interests, like weekend hiking or running groups. This gives people more chances to meet.
Erinome: Li Ziqiu says attachment relationships are not a luxury. They are a necessity, like eating and sleeping. Having at least one close, safe relationship is very important for mental health.
Enceladus: He also hopes seeking professional psychological help becomes less shameful. Many people might need it at some point in life.
Erinome: Okay, that's it for today's news chat. A lot of talk about living alone and loneliness.
Enceladus: Yes. It's a big topic for many people now. Let's talk again next time. Bye everyone!
Erinome: Bye!
