Are You Dead Yet: The #1 app on China's Apple App Store

China's new top paid app doesn't help you find a ride, order food, or socialize with friends. It just asks you whether you're alive.

The app, which translates to "Are You Dead Yet?" — the presence of the "yet" suggests the developer probably isn't on the Bryan Johnson "don't die" train...yet) — requires you to log in daily and click a button to show you're alive. Miss two days in a row and the app will notify your emergency contact. That's it. That's the app.

It's all a bit morbid and funny at the same time. It used to be we had to post photos of ourselves in Cancun with margaritas to get attention, now we can freak out our loved ones by just forgetting to pick up our phones.

Would I call this a social app? Yes, I would. Some people seem drawn to social apps that minimize actual social interactions. See: Swiping right or left on a dating app instead of striking up a convo. Here, there's no need to send a text to a friend or family member that you're alive (and, hey, maybe even meet up for a coffee), because you can just tell your phone.

But might we also call it an early example of a meme app? We went from memes on the internet to meme stocks like GameStop and AMC to a slew of memecoins in crypto. Participation/ownership signals your alignment with a particular community, with utility/function secondary.

Am I crazy here or do you think there's a future for meme apps?