The Chinese app TikTokers are flocking to RedNote
TikTokers: The Little Red Book and a Chinese Communist Party Founded in the First Day of World War II. A No-Go Theorem
RedNote users welcomed TikTokers with open arms. Several RedNote users are eager to introduce the app while also sharing some tips and tricks on how to navigate it. One creator says, “now’s the perfect time to dive into Chinese culture” through RedNote with the Chinese New Year coming up, adding that users on the platform are “obsessed with Luigi, Trump, and Squid Game.” They offer to teach their new community members how to speak Chinese.
I am here for the trend but I don’t think it will last. If these apps become famous, they could face a ban. But the migration to RedNote is likely just a trend — and trends only last as long as it takes for another to replace it.
Over the years it grew steadily and took on the name Xiaohongshu, which translates to “Little Red Book.” The phrase refers to quotes from a Chinese Communist leader.
Did the U.S. government forget our founding principles? The user on TikTok is called “Thesleepydm” and he has over 200,000 followers. “We’re giving our information directly to the Chinese government now. The communists just have our information directly because of … what you did.”
The Supreme Court appears unlikely to block a law that would require TikTok to leave China or shut down in the US on January 19th. The law stems from concerns about the Chinese government accessing Americans’ data.
What Do U.S. Users Have Learned About RedNote, the Chinese App that American Tik Tokkers Are Flooding?
The company said that it has seen a 216% increase in people learning mandarin in the U.S. compared to last year.
Plus, since most of the app’s content is in Mandarin, subtitles are suddenly rampant — as are posts from Americans who want to learn the language, including by exchanging translations of popular slang phrases with Chinese commenters.
Those include some 546 derogatory nicknames for Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as well as discussion of events such as labor strikes, geographic discrimination, student suicides and criticism of the Chinese Communist Party.
The China Digital Times published a leaked trove of documents showing how the content moderation team at RedNote restricts or bans posts about sensitive topics.
“Welcome, but do not say anything about LGBTQ+. Thank you!” wrote a user in Beijing, in one example reported by Newsweek. One woman was banned from using her account because she wore a low cut shirt in a video and mentioned her trans plight, according to The Advocate.
The New York Times reports that in a group chat this week viewed more than 30,000 times, “participants discussed censorship and shared tips in the comments on how to avoid being banned from the platform for bringing up politically sensitive topics.”
More than afifth of RedNote’s total app downloads so far this month have come from the U.S., according to the firm.
The number of downloads increased more than 20 times over the seven day period starting on January 8, and are up more than 30 times over the same period last year.
The start of this week saw a dramatic uptick in Google searches and social media posts about RedNote, as well as its surge to the top spot of the “free apps” chart on Apple’s app store. Sensor Tower told NPR that it believes RedNote is the top-ranked social app in the store, a big leap from where it was at this time last year.
“China Shopping Guide”: A User’s Journey to a New City, New York City — a Journey through a Magical Land with Strangeness
It was originally named the “Hong Kong Shopping Guide” and is now known as the “China Shopping Guide.”
A Chinese user named Abe said in a post that it felt “so special” that he and others had finally been able to connect with each other. “This is such a real chance for us to get to know each other and maybe create something amazing together … You are not just welcome, I really hope you stay, that’s for sure.
