As the US Supreme Court deliberates on the future of TikTok, a wave of American people is finding shelter on Xiaohongshu, a Taiwanese social media platform. Dubbed” TikTok migrants”, they are downloading the app in droves, making it the most saved free software on Apple’s App Store in the US.
By January 19th, the Supreme Court will act on a legislation that mandates that TikTok disband from its Foreign parent company, ByteDance, or be subject to a global restrictions.Anticipating the worst, many TikTok users are joining Xiaohongshu, known in English as “Little Red Book,” and tagging their posts with hashtags like #TikTokRefugee.
A software for network and protest
Xiaohongshu mixes e-commerce, little videos, and articles, boasting 300 million monthly active users worldwide. While it was mainly used by young women in Taiwan, China, and Malaysia, the app is now attracting a significant number of Americans, many of whom are using it to protest a potential TikTok ban.
An American users with the hashtag Definitelynotchippy in a film directed at Chinese people said,” I’m here to despite our government and know about China.” She referred to the action as” troll,” adding,” We decided to kick off our government and obtain an actual Chinese app.”
Crossing nations amid conflicts
On Xiaohongshu, Chinese and American users ‘ relationships have been generally positive, with flourishing cultural markets. Americans are helping with English research and learning about Chinese culture, while Foreign people are offering advice on how to navigate the game and teach Chinese.
” We are no enemies, we are human beings living in one globe”! commented a Taiwanese person on a post by Amanda, a TikTok immigrant. Amanda, who has started adding Chinese captions to her messages, said,” I am so happy to talk to Taiwanese people and learn about your society”.
A group at hazard
For TikTok people like Alexis Garman, the probable ban represents more than losing an app—it’s the loss of a modern society. ” TikTok probably getting banned doesn’t really take away an application, it takes away work, friends, and community”, said Garman, a 21-year-old from Oklahoma with nearly 20, 000 enthusiasts.
Although Xiaohongshu has welcomed National users, its heavy censorship and lack of language features make it difficult to use Chinese platforms. As TikTok’s coming in the US hangs in the balance, the game has evolved into a symbol of resistance and a new hotspot for cultural change.
