wechat super-app: why it matters for US students in China
Why WeChat as a “super‑app” should be your first homework You land in China with a one‑way ticket and a heavy backpack. School orientation is next week, the dorm is across town, and your phone feels naked without the right apps. In the West we think of apps as single‑purpose tools — Spotify for music, Uber for rides, Venmo for money. In China, especially for students and Americans living here, that mental model breaks down. WeChat is not an app. It’s a living toolkit: chat, pay, ticketing, food ordering, mini‑programs, livestream shopping, study groups, and more — all stitched into one interface. ...