While the fate of TikTok has been hanging by a thread for months, American content creators are preparing for what comes next. Between nostalgia and irony, we’re having a blast!
The countdown is on for TikTok. ByteDance, the parent company of the Chinese social network, has only a few days left to finalize the sale of its application, at the risk of seeing it banned on American territory. Nearly 10 million influencers could be affected by the closure of the platform in the United States. As a sign of rebellion, some do not hesitate to turn to other Chinese applications.
Goodbyes worthy of Netflix
Black and white videos, violins in the background, crocodile tears and poignant monologues on their “incredible journey”… Farewell to the Chinese platform has become a form of show yourself.
For many anonymous people, TikTok served as a real professional springboard. A ban on the application would therefore be synonymous with loss of visibility and in fine of income. It is therefore not surprising that some of them, like the tiktoker Bran_flakezz who has 721.4K subscribers, go as far as Compare the possible end of TikTok to a layoff.
“Goodbye my Chinese spy”: the trend that is a hit
But, while life without TikTok worries many content creators, others prefer to approach the situation lightly. Reflecting on the suspicions surrounding the app, which US lawmakers have called a “threat to national security,” many are bidding a wry “farewell” to their “personal Chinese spy.” I like the account’s video _unsc_, which has nearly 6 million views, depicting a moving scene from Squid game accompanied by the caption: “I say goodbye to my Chinese spy on January 19. »
Or even, from tiktoker yanxiao1003 who begins his video with: “It’s your Chinese spy talking to you. It’s a great honor to have spied on you these past few years. I wish you all a good life in the future…” Full of character, he continues with very funny personal messages, such as: “Laura from California, you shouldn’t drink so much Coca-Cola, it’s bad for the body. body. health. » A Chinese spy is watching you!
Meanwhile, others like matcha.mix organize their departure for China. Project: find their beloved Chinese spy.
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American TikTokers take refuge on RedNote
Between eulogy and irony, influencers obviously do not forget to discreetly slip their new points of contact to their community. While some invite their followers to join them on Instagram, others call for a boycott of Meta platformsaccusing Mark Zuckerberg’s company of having lobbied for the banning of its great rival. In protest, they choose to turn to other Chinese applications. SO, Xiaohungshu, alias Red note, hear “the little red book” (whose name ironically evokes the communist propaganda work of Mao Zedong) and Lemon8an application developed by ByteDance, parent company of TikTok, is at the top of the most downloaded free applications in the United States (on iPhone and Android).
Jen Hamilton, followed by 3.9 million followers, claims her choice to download RedNote as an act of protest: “Are you concerned about Chinese access to our sensitive data? Fine, we’ll pass it on to them directly,” the influencer says casually.
We find her the next day, learning Mandarin.
Seduced by the application described as a mix between Instagram and Pinterest, TikTokers migrating to RedNote share their first impressions, accompanied by humorous videos or tutorials explaining how to create a profile on the platform, mainly available in Mandarin.
Riding the craze, RedNote offers short Mandarin courses to facilitate the integration of its new users.
The application even goes so far as to attack the American government in PLS!
