Living alone is the new normal.
Are You Dead?
If you answered yes, I have a million questions about the afterlife.
But in all seriousness, our brand-new February 2026 Socionomist cover story spotlights China’s mobile safety app called Silema, translated as “Are You Dead?” to track the well-being of people who live alone.
It’s the top-ranked paid utility app in China and is set to be released in Western markets amidst a global anti-social crisis in which solitude has become the new normal. From the Feb. Socionomist: “It’s a recognition that reclusiveness has gone viral.”
This report includes 8 pages of unbiased research, personal anecdotes, historical charts and data—putting the growing “loneliness epidemic” into an entirely unconsidered context. Read this ground-breaking piece, along with the full February issue of the Socionomist today! (And please. Check on your friends and neighbors)
