Red Note Signals #5 When Chinese Virtual Boyfriends Go Global, Fans Dispute Their Chineseness

Peiyue and I go very deep on Chinese virtual boyfriends going global and Red Note Feminism

I downloaded Love & Deepspace last night for “research” ahead of this. In China this past week, the “Are You Dead” app went viral: users check in daily, and if they miss two days in a row, the app contacts an emergency contact. I spoke with the Guardian’s Amy Hawkins about its sudden popularity. There is a common threads in the two apps: one is about adventure & love, and the other about death. They both reflect a growing global loneliness economy.

Amy and I talked a lot about Red Note feminism, which can be understood as a collective search for meaning in a reality where women express independence by rejecting traditional gender roles and values. One reason I think Red Note is so sticky is that it creates subcultures and a safe space where expression feels natural and authentic. At the same time, in the gaps once filled by real humans, technology increasingly steps in to provide emotional connections.

After a few hours with …