Chinese language App Is so Fashionable in US That Customers Ask for Assist With Homework

• A Chinese language social media app known as Xiaohongshu is likely one of the largest winners from a looming TikTok ban.
• It is so standard within the US that Chinese language customers have began a brand new hashtag to welcome Individuals.
• The cultural alternate frenzy has birthed posts of individuals asking for assist with English homework, amongst different requests.

A Chinese language social media platform has grown so standard within the US that it is this week’s most downloaded iPhone app — and it is change into the positioning of a sudden East-Meets-West cultural alternate.

Xiaohongshu, also referred to as RedNote, hit the highest spot on the US Apple retailer’s rating this week as a divest-or-ban legislation threatens to close off American entry to TikTok.

The app, generally known as China’s model of Instagram, has been flooded with posts from Chinese language customers greeting the inflow of US newcomers.

One put up titled “American please assist me” went viral on Monday and obtained over 10,000 feedback after its poster, from Zhejiang, requested assist with their English homework.

Different standard posts additionally featured customers, who listed their location as being within the US, providing their help for Chinese language customers’ homework.

“Ask me any questions! I might help together with your English homework, or reply questions on America (Texas). Thanks for welcoming us TikTok refugees,” one put up learn. A number of commenters uploaded pictures of English-language worksheets in response.

The surge in American customers on Chinese language apps has additionally led to an increase within the hashtag #TikTokRefugee on Xiaohongshu, with dozens of Chinese language creators posting guides on methods to use the platform. The hashtag itself has been considered over 64 million occasions, in response to information seen by Enterprise Insider.

“For those who see a video that is downright superior, simply remark 6 or 66 or 666,” mentioned a cowboy hat-toting person, Huge Tooth Chinese language Redneck, in a single viral video, referencing a Chinese language web slang time period.

The sudden curiosity in Chinese language social media platforms comes as TikTok continues to problem the divest-or-ban legislation that the Senate handed in April. In accordance with the legislation, TikTok must cease working within the US on January 19 if its Chinese language-based proprietor, Bytedance, would not promote the app.

The divest-and-ban legislation was handed amid widespread safety considerations that the Chinese language authorities may entry person information if Bytedance continued to personal the platform. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew advised The Wall Avenue Journal in 2023 that such considerations are unfounded for the reason that firm would work with Oracle to retailer person information within the US.

TikTok argued its case with the Supreme Courtroom on Friday, saying it is going to “go darkish” in January if the courtroom would not prolong its divestment deadline. The courtroom is anticipated to rule on the corporate’s destiny this week.

There’s so much on the road for TikTok now — it misplaced a problem to the legislation in December when it introduced the case earlier than a panel of three judges from the US Courtroom of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In December, President-elect Donald Trump requested the Supreme Courtroom to pause the legislation till after his inauguration. Trump is ready to take workplace on January 20.

Permitting TikTok to function within the US is a reversal of Trump’s coverage place on the corporate. Trump pushed for a TikTok ban in 2020 when he was nonetheless president. However extra not too long ago, the president-elect advised reporters in December that he had a “heat spot” in his coronary heart for TikTok.

Nonetheless, TikTok’s troubles have introduced sudden advantages to platforms like Xiaohongshu and Lemon8, which each surged to the highest two spots on Apple app retailer rankings. Lemon8 can also be owned by Bytedance.

Meagan Loyst, founding father of the investor collective Gen Z VCs, advised Enterprise Insider on Monday that customers had been flocking to those platforms to protest the federal government’s deliberate TikTok ban.

“It truly is simply retaliation in direction of the federal government within the easiest method, however in a means that feels very native to Gen Z,” Loyst mentioned.

Representatives for TikTok and Xiaohongshu didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider.