As the fate of TikTok remains undecided, more Americans are moving to Red Note. As of January 20, 2025, it has become the most downloaded free app on the app store. Red Note is used predominantly by people from Mainland China, and many news outlets regarded it as “Chinese Instagram” before the ban. Millions of Americans are moving to the app, causing a significant rise in English speakers and a cultural shift in the platform.
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Americans began using the platform in January 2025 because they feared the TikTok ban. Many Americans who did not wish to move to Instagram Reels moved to Red Note, starting the hashtag #tiktokrefugee. Suddenly, Rednote was inundated with English speakers and cultural interaction between Chinese and Americans began. Aanika Mathur (12) “find Rednote to be a very helpful app to make friends across the globe easily.” She made friends on the platforms that she would have never found before if it had not been for moving to the app.
The increased cultural interactions between China and the United States have cleared many misconceptions. This is the first time people from the two countries have had direct contact with one another, shocking both sides. Many Americans are surprised that China is a modernized country with major cities and highly developed transportation systems, and many Chinese are amazed that America’s (California) minimum wage is $16.50 (higher than most entry-level white-collar jobs in China). Sophia Cavada (12) “thinks everyone is welcoming and funny. They are very kind and adapting to us.”
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These increased connections do not come without effects. Some Chinese people feel that Americans are taking over and acculturating the platform, which is evident with the addition of English subtitles from Chinese influencers and American influencers without Chinese subtitles. Lydia Lin (11) thinks “Americans moving to Red Note has significantly westernized its culture.” This is evident in people who use American slang and emojis instead of Chinese ones. In addition, Red Note pushes English content more than Chinese content to encourage more American influencers to join the platform.
To be more mindful of Red Note, using Chinese slang is important. Instead of “lol” or “lmao”, words such as “xswl” (笑死我了) carry the same meaning but express it more mindfully. Another one that allows Americans to be more involved in the culture is YYDS (永远大神), which is the Chinese replacement for goat.
Overall, as TikTok awaits judgment and Red Note slowly takes over the American social media scene, it becomes more apparent that it is here to stay. It is important to remember that it was an app used by Chinese people and for Chinese people before Americans came into the app. Being mindful and open to adapting will make this new cross-cultural app one that promotes diversity and understanding.