With the possible ban on TikTok, Duolingo benefits from unexpected enthusiasm

Thursday 16th January 2025 09:53 PM

While TikTok could be banned in a few days in the United States, a curious linguistic phenomenon has just appeared. Rather than turning massively to local alternatives like Instagram (Reels) or YouTube (Shorts), many Americans have adopted 小红书 – 你的生活指南. This movement sparked a meteoric rise in Mandarin learning, particularly through platforms like Duolingo.

The Mandarin learning boom

Xiaohongshu (literally RedNote or little red book, easier to pronounce), is a Chinese platform where users share videos, photos and product reviews. Since TikTok was threatened with a ban, more than 700,000 of its American users have reportedly migrated to the latter.

However, the app is designed primarily for a Chinese audience, too its menus, community rules and content are mainly in Mandarin ! Faced with this language barrier, thousands of Americans have turned to tools like Duolingo. According to the language learning platform, enrollment in their Mandarin courses increased 216% from the previous year, peaking in January 2025, when RedNote adoption exploded.

A demonstration of demand and distrust

For many Americans, theThe move to Xiaohongshu is seen as an act of defiance against government policiesbut also as recognition of the pioneering role of Chinese applications in digital innovation.

However, this transition is not going smoothly. Some users experience technical difficulties registering or are banned for violating community guidelines, often due to cultural or linguistic misunderstandings. Perfect for Duolingo which has focused its communication on the subject for several days, as shown in this blog article.

This movement also highlights dissatisfaction with the solutions offered by American companies like Metaoften accused of simply imitating trends initiated by their Asian competitors. Ironically enough, this migration also demonstrates a certain indifference user concerns over data collection by Chinese companies, raising questions about the effectiveness of US cybersecurity policies.