SAD SONGS

In response to demoralizing comments under its songs， NetEase Cloud Music， a music streaming service with more than 800 million users， announced it will recruit professional therapists and over 10，000 volunteers to provide round-the-clock emotional support to potentially depressed listeners.

Around 95 million people in China suffer from depression， and 90 percent of them do not have access to treatment， according to the state-run Peoples Daily Online news platform. In addition to online psychological consultation， NetEase is introducing an option for subscribers to send each other “virtual hugs，” and asking moderators to write lighthearted comments to create a friendly atmosphere.

Some of the sad stories are clearly fabricated， with many identical comments posted by different users. This has led netizens to dub the platform “NetEmo.” Nevertheless， writes the Peoples Daily Online on Weibo， “Depressive views…remind us that real expressions online deserve attention and kindness. Fake content must be regulated， [while we] promote the mental health of netizens.” – Y.T.