In a few days, TikTok could be banned in the US, making the app unusable and unavailable in app stores. Instead of making do with Instagram Reels, people looked for a closer alternative and found a Chinese social media app.”Rednoteor Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book.” It reached number one on the Apple App Store download list, and according to ReutersIn just a couple of days, more than 700,000 users joined the service. However, it appears that RedNote is not the only app that has benefited from TikTok's impending ban. Language learning app Duolingo reported that the US has seen a “216 percent year-over-year increase in new Chinese (Mandarin) learners.”
Although RedNote has an English interface, much of its content is written in Chinese, and American users are likely hoping to be able to interact with more videos. How TechCrunch notes that a graph published by Duolingo clearly shows a large increase in new students at the same time that RedNote's popularity has skyrocketed. On TikTok, Duolingo posted videos with the hashtags #rednote and #tiktokban. In one video, someone wearing a green owl mascot mask teaches Chinese to beginners, starting with “Welcome, TikTok refugees.”
Meanwhile, initial Chinese users of RedNote are getting language lessons from the app's American import. Now they're apparently learning Alpha Generation American slang and TikTok trends like “my Sheila” and “Raw.” Next question.” Chinese users also entertain new users by telling them they are their “Chinese spies” and jokingly asking them to share their details with the Chinese government.
TikTok owner ByteDance has until January 19 to sell the app's US assets to prevent its closure.