China's Loneliness Economy Expands Amid Rising Solo Households

Analysts state a new wave of products and services addresses the safety, social, and mental health needs of China’s rapidly growing solo-living population. The number of people living alone in the country is skyrocketing.

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This issue gained public attention when the check-in app Are You Dead?, known "死了么" in Chinese, briefly topped paid app charts in mainland China and other markets. Its success revealed the scale of China’s vast, expanding solo economy.

Are You Dead? requires users to confirm their safety by tapping a button. If a user fails to respond for more than 48 hours, the app sends an alert to a designated emergency contact. It has been removed from Apple’s AppStore in mainland China but remains available elsewhere as Demumu.

The app’s popularity, despite a debate over its name, highlights a structural shift in Chinese society. Millions more people now live by themselves, often distant from family networks, facing economic pressure and weakening social ties.

Analysts consider the app significant for revealing the scale of this long-underserved market.

“This is a manifestation of collective loneliness turning into structural demand,” stated Zhao Zhijiang, a researcher at the Beijing-based think tank Anbound. Zhijiang added that the public and market are confronting loneliness-related safety risks that are increasingly real.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported that nearly 20% of China’s population lived in single-person households in 2024. A Beike Research Institute report projects this figure to exceed 30% by the end of the decade, representing between 150 million and 200 million people.

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* China's solo-living population is rapidly increasing.

* A "loneliness economy" is emerging, offering products and services for safety, social, and mental health needs.

* The check-in app Are You Dead? revealed the significant scale of this previously underserved market.

* Nearly 20% of China’s population resided in single-person households in 2024.

* This figure is projected to exceed 30% by the end of the decade, affecting up to 200 million people.

Source: SCMP

French President Pushes Accelerated Social Media Ban for Young Teens

President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to fast-track legislation banning social media for children under 15. The French government aims for this ban to enter into force in Sept. with the start of the new school year.

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Macron asked his government to initiate an accelerated procedure to ensure the proposed legislation passes through the Senate quickly. He stated, "The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale."

He added, "The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated. Neither by American platforms, nor by Chinese algorithms."

This announcement follows the British government's consideration of banning young teenagers from social media. This is part of tightening laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.

According to France’s health watchdog, one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours daily on a smartphone. A report published in Dec. indicated 90% of children aged 12 to 17 use smartphones daily to access the internet.

Of those, 58% use their devices for social networks. The report highlighted a range of harmful effects from social network use.

These effects include reduced self-esteem and increased exposure to content linked with risky behaviours, such as self-harm, drug use, and suicide. Several families in France have sued TikTok over teen suicides they say are connected to harmful content.

Macron's office confirmed the announcement was made in a video addressed to lawmaker Laure Miller, who sponsors the bill. The bill will be examined in a public session.

Macron also stated, "We are banning social media for under-15s, and we are going to ban mobile phones in our high schools." He believes this rule is clear for teenagers, families, and teachers.

In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children. This occurred since the country banned platform use by those under 16.

The Australian law provoked fraught debates about technology use, privacy, child safety, and mental health. It has also prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

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* President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to fast-track a ban on social media for children under 15.

* The ban is targeted for implementation in Sept., aligning with the new school year.

* Macron stated that children's brains and emotions are "not for sale or to be manipulated."

* French health watchdog data shows 90% of 12- to 17-year-olds use smartphones daily for internet access.

* Beyond social media, Macron also announced plans to ban mobile phones in high schools.

Source: AP News

Amazon Prepares for Further Corporate Job Reductions

Amazon is planning a second wave of job cuts, targeting a total reduction of approximately 30,000 corporate workers. This follows an earlier round where the organisation eliminated about 14,000 white-collar positions.

Credit: AMAZON

The current round of reductions is expected to affect a similar number of employees as the previous one, according to people familiar with the plans. These sources requested anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss Amazon’s internal strategies.

Credit: AMAzON

Positions within Amazon Web Services, retail, Prime Video, and human resources units, known as People Experience and Technology, are slated for potential impact. The full extent of these changes remains unclear, and the details of Amazon’s plans could still be revised.

The Seattle online retailer connected its previous job cuts to advancements in artificial intelligence software. An internal letter stated, “this generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before.”

Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy later informed analysts that the reduction was “not really financially driven and it’s not even really AI-driven.” Instead, Jassy clarified, “it’s culture,” indicating concerns about excessive bureaucracy within the company.

Jassy elaborated on this point, noting, “You end up with a lot more people than what you had before, and you end up with a lot more layers.” He had previously said earlier in 2025 that he expected Amazon’s corporate workforce to shrink due to efficiencies gained from AI use.

Corporations are increasingly deploying AI to generate code for software and to implement AI agents for automating routine tasks. This adoption aims to reduce operational costs and lessen reliance on human personnel. Amazon highlighted its most recent AI models at its annual AWS cloud computing conference in December.

The proposed total reduction of 30,000 jobs constitutes a small fraction of Amazon’s 1.58 million employees. However, this figure represents nearly 10% of the firm’s corporate workforce. The majority of Amazon’s employees are based in fulfilment centres and warehouses.

If implemented, these reductions would mark the largest layoff in Amazon’s three-decade history. The company previously trimmed about 27,000 jobs in 2022.

Employees affected by the prior cuts were retained on the payroll for a 90-day period. This allowed them time to apply for other internal roles or to seek external employment opportunities.

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• Amazon plans a second round of corporate job cuts, targeting 30,000 total reductions.

• The previous round eliminated about 14,000 white-collar positions.

• Affected units include Amazon Web Services, retail, Prime Video, and human resources.

Source: REUTERS