A popular Chinese wristband that claims to wake you up. The audience says, “No thanks.”

Forget the coffee, you Now you can stay alert by strapping on a wristband that gives you a slight wake-up call. That’s what eCoffee Energyband, A. said Chinese The tool, which sells for just over $100, claims to do just that.

First released in late 2023, the product is a lightweight, wearable product with two electrode pads placed on the inner wrist. wat medicalA Canadian company with a Chinese subsidiary that manufactures and markets the device claims that light electrical signals sent by the wristband can keep the wearer alert by stimulating nerves in the brain. The effect is supposed to be roughly the same as a cup of coffee, minus the cancer risk Caffeine addicted. The only side effect is that your hand can feel numb from the fingertip to the inner wrist, the company says, so manufacturers suggest they be worn for only three hours a day, and users can switch which wrists they wear.

The gadget would likely remain relatively obscure if the company that makes it hadn’t recently attended a Chinese trade show, and then suddenly gone viral. “The purpose of inventing the eCoffee Energyband is not to replace coffee. Coffee is great, but it is not always suitable for the afternoon or evening. But we still need to feel refreshed during those times,” said Xu Haojie, the company’s COO. He said Chinese state media Xinhua at the trade fair. After wearing it, a Xinhua reporter said: “I feel like I’m being gently tapped. I can feel the electrical pulse.”

He instantly became an internet sensation. On Chinese e-commerce sites, including JD and Taobao, the device appears to be sold out so far, with hundreds of mixed reviews from buyers. The device is also sold and shipped to markets around the world. The website lists its normal price at $130, with a holiday promotion going on right now that takes 30 percent off the price.

But on Chinese social media, the wristband was met with great ridicule and skepticism.

The company’s marketing portrays e-coffee as a productivity booster and a tool to get more study and work done. But this message struck a chord with the Chinese people
about Culture “996”.the local alternative to grinding culture. China’s younger generation is increasingly shying away from workplace burnout. Smug online commentators have called the wristband everything from a portable electric chair to a human version of electronic collars for dog training and cattle whips, emphasizing how much it benefits the managerial class against the will of the working class.