Welcome to our first session. We will begin with introductions, questions, and a brief explanation of how I will run the class. We will have reading material and listening material for you to review prior to our meeting. Reading is the primary way for you to build your vocabulary, so please prepare three vocabulary words from the reading to address in class. These can be three words that are unfamiliar to you or that you found particularly interesting.
Our listening will start in mp3 format with a transcript. Please listen and follow the transcript. Focus on time. If you can understand great. If you lose your concentration after a few minutes, please make a note. You only need to listen once. If you don’t get it, just move on.
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Are You Dead? That is the name of an app that recently became the most downloaded paid app in China, and it's also been toward the top of the charts in the U.S., Spain and Australia. It is designed for people who live by themselves and fear dying without anyone knowing. NPR's Juliana Kim reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF OBOE PLAYING)
JULIANA KIM, BYLINE: In between practicing his oboe and doing household chores, Johnny Miller remembers to complete a simple yet morbid task on his to-do list - confirm on his phone that he is indeed still alive.
JOHNNY MILLER: It's almost like someone cares.
KIM: Miller, from Seguin, Texas, uses a Chinese app whose name translates to Are You Dead? Its function is implied in its name. Users check in daily. If they miss a number of check-ins, the app alerts a designated emergency contact. The mobile tool has been going viral beyond China, becoming a top paid download in the Apple Store (ph) in Australia, Spain, and the U.S. last month. Dark humor is part of its appeal, but many people who live alone, like Miller, also signed up for its practicality and to relieve a serious fear.
MILLER: Who would even notice if I was dead for weeks, months? No one would know.
KIM: In many countries around the world, more people are living by themselves than ever. That includes the U.S., where over a quarter of all households comprise of one person, according to the 2020 census. And it comes as loneliness and social isolation are also growing issues. China's Are You Dead? app is one of the many safety apps that have popped up over the years. Julianne Holt-Lunstad at Brigham Young University is an expert in social connection, and she says the demand for these apps reflect how many people live today.
JULIANNE HOLT-LUNSTAD: This isn't a personal failure, but rather, we live in a society in which there are so many barriers that make it harder and harder to connect socially.
KIM: She adds that people tend to rely more on technology than one another. That's concerning, she says, because offering and asking for help are important parts of connection. Preet Anand says it's becoming more difficult to have consistent everyday contact with others. That's why he founded Snug Safety, another popular check-in app.
PREET ANAND: I think it's a widespread human desire to feel safe and to know that the people we care about are safe.
KIM: Anand says the app was initially catered to older adults, but over time, there's been growing interest among single mothers, college students, pet owners and people with health conditions who want to live independently. Jamie Gartner from Syracuse, New York, uses Snug Safety. She lives alone and generally likes it. But since she has four pets, she worries what would happen to them if she were to die unexpectedly.
JAMIE GARTNER: I didn't want my animals to be stuck, you know, alone and not having anybody to care for them.
KIM: Gartner says it also gives peace of mind to her sister, who serves as her emergency contact.
GARTNER: My sister will say all the time, like, it just - it has relieved her so much just to know that she doesn't have to worry.
KIM: Gartner hopes that she won't need to use the app forever, though, and that soon enough, she can replace the digital check-in with a real one from a life partner or a tight-knit group of friends. Juliana Kim, NPR News.