As an alternative of wallowing in distress about doubtlessly dropping entry to their favourite short-form video app, many TikTokers are flocking to RedNote, a Chinese language social media platform additionally known as Xiaohongshu. I’ve determined to spend a while on the platform myself, and it appears to be like like so-called “TikTok refugees” are enthusiastic about interacting with a group primarily comprised of Chinese language-speaking customers — and vice versa.
Launched in 2013 as a buying platform, RedNote has grown into certainly one of China’s hottest social apps that includes images, movies, and written content material. Now it’s seeing one other spike in customers from one other a part of the globe, with greater than 700,000 customers becoming a member of RedNote in simply two days, according to a report from Reuters. The quantity remains to be small, at only a fraction of the 150 million Americans TikTok reported have been already utilizing the app in early 2023.
As noted by CNN, the identify Xiaohongshu interprets to “little crimson e-book,” which “could possibly be seen as a tongue-in-cheek reference to a red-covered e-book of quotations from the founding father of Communist China, Mao Zedong.” Many US customers appear to be utilizing the Chinese language platform out of spite of the US authorities’s plan to ban TikTok — however in a deeply unserious manner.
Amongst all of the Chinese language-language posts depicting modern match checks, mouthwatering meals movies, and memes I don’t fairly perceive but, is content material from TikTok expats. Many joke about their sudden look on the app, with one user questioning what Chinese language customers would possibly assume after seeing an inflow of US-based customers and another showing their gradual transformation from a gun-wielding, Buc-ee’s merch-wearing American right into a Chinese language-speaking RedNote person. Others are simply saying “hello” to their new group — a few of whom have written captions in what I’d assume is machine-translated Chinese language.
Much more attention-grabbing although, are all of the RedNote customers welcoming TikTokers with open arms. A number of RedNote customers are wanting to introduce the app whereas additionally sharing some suggestions and methods on learn how to navigate it. One creator says, “now’s the right time to dive into Chinese language tradition” via RedNote with the Chinese language New Yr developing, including that customers on the platform are “obsessive about Luigi, Trump, and Squid Recreation.” Some even provide to show their new group members Chinese language.
However many TikTokers are equally inquisitive about RedNote customers in China, too. “Chinese language pals, submit footage of your meal or snacks for in the present day! Curious to see what you sometimes eat,” one person writes. One other asks, “I’m American. Do y’all like us? We all know y’all not the enemy. Can all of us be pals?”
The development is definitely form of healthful, and I’m right here for it, however I’m not assured it is going to really final. If these apps develop in reputation, they might doubtlessly face a ban, too. However the migration to RedNote is probably going only a development — and traits solely final so long as it takes for an additional to exchange it.