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China's Economy Falters: Confidence Drops, Apps Removed

2/2/2026

36 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Consumer confidence in China is falling as the economy slows.
In Beijing, a toy seller cites a plushie called 'the crying horse' born from a factory error as a sign of stress.
The app Are You Dead? grew in popularity by enabling daily check-ins and alerting contacts if users miss one.
The app faced backlash from state media, leading to its removal from the App Store.

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Story summary

Consumer confidence in China is falling as the economy slows.
In Beijing, a toy seller cites a plushie called 'the crying horse' born from a factory error as a sign of stress.
The app Are You Dead? grew in popularity by enabling daily check-ins and alerting contacts if users miss one.
The app faced backlash from state media, leading to its removal from the App Store.