So TikTok might actually get banned this time. January 19th hits, and unless something changes, the app’s getting booted from American phones. You’d think people would jump to Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, right? Nope. They’re downloading another Chinese app instead.
I’m not kidding – Xiaohongshu (they’re calling it “RedNote”) just hit number one on the App Store. It’s like watching someone protest their parents taking away their cigarettes by starting to smoke cigars. These “TikTok refugees” are literally downloading a Chinese social media app to protest… a ban on a Chinese social media app. Except this one is way stricter, and forget having a space to speak on LGBTQIA+ issues or human rights as the app is quick to take down any content about things like that (unless, ironically, it’s anti-US Government).
Why are people going to Xiaohongshu (RedNote) – which is largely in Mandarin – instead of U.S. alternatives like Reels and Shorts?
— Justine Moore (@venturetwins) January 13, 2025
TikTok is flooded with videos about it.
To summarize the most common arguments:
1) Reels is "for influencers." There's less "real" content from… https://t.co/BNl6YW1EdO
The whole thing’s a mess. Trump, who tried banning TikTok himself back in the day, now wants to “save” it. Meanwhile, ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) also owns Lemon8, which people are flocking to – except that app’s probably getting banned too under the same law.
Sure, there are other options. Instagram’s been copying TikTok since 2020 with Reels. YouTube’s got Shorts. Snapchat’s still around. But teens aren’t exactly excited about moving to their parents’ social media apps. And while Twitch is cool for livestreams, it’s not the same quick-hit dopamine rush as TikTok’s endless scroll.
Some smaller apps are trying to cash in. There’s Clapper, which started as a “free speech platform” until that went about as well as you’d expect. Then there’s Triller, owned by Ryan Kavanaugh, pushing hard into music videos. If that name sounds familiar, it might be from his very public legal battles with H3H3 Productions – let’s just say there’s some… interesting court documents out there if you’re curious. Zigazoo’s targeting the kid market. But none of these apps have that TikTok magic.
The real kicker? Even if you keep TikTok on your phone after the ban, it’ll probably just get worse and worse until it stops working entirely. No updates means no bug fixes, no security patches, nothing. Unless you’re tech-savvy enough to use a VPN or brave enough to jailbreak your phone, TikTok’s days are numbered.
Maybe Meta finally gets its wish and everyone crawls back to Instagram. Maybe some new app swoops in to save the day. Or maybe we all just spend a little less time watching dance trends and cooking hacks.
At least until the next addictive app comes along. (Do it for the Vine!)
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