1mo ago

Duolingo sees 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid TikTok ban and move to RedNote

techcrunch.com Duolingo sees 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid TikTok ban and move to RedNote | TechCrunch

TikTok U.S. users have been learning Chinese on Duolingo in increasing numbers amid their adoption of a Chinese social app called RedNote ahead of the

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/52721306

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People are fucking stupid. I don't think there's any point in banning TikTok but they're not wrong when they say it pushes Chinese propaganda and they're probably not wrong when they say that they're using it to spy on people.
So angry TikTok users want to make that worse for themselves out of spite?
Idiots.
- Half the population thought the US government was trying to kill them with a vaccine and a face mask while they coughed themselves to death.
  You're absolutely right, people are fucking stupid.
  
  The us population voted the Cheeto in a second time, kinda says it all really.
  
  Every time this comes up I’m gonna say it, yes there are a lot of stupids. But it takes less than half the US to elect that asshole, and indeed less than half of Americans voted for him.
  But more than half we’re stupid enough to let that happen.
- I literally had a friend breaking down over it and I suggested Fediverse alternatives and they looked at me like I had sprouted an extra head.
  I even explained that US companies aren't doing anything materially different than Tiktok (propaganda and spying on people), and they're all bad. Still looking at me like I'm some kind of maniac.
  Everyone bitches about corporations but so few want to actually stop sucking on their fucking teat.
  
  People hate thinking. It blows my mind, but it's the only thing I know for sure.
- For most people, the personal consequences of China being able to spy on them are nonexistent. The government that can actually abuse such power against them, e.g. prosecute them for out of state abortions, is the US.
  So protesting the US banning an app and trying to force people to use their own spyware social media makes some level of sense.
  It's still obviously better to use privacy preserving and/or federated services, but that's not something most people know about or understand.
  
  Individually, sure it's mostly meaningless. As a group? Did you see who won the latest election? The actions of the collective are always what matters. China (and everyone else) doesn't care about you as an individual, but they do want to nudge society.
  
  I didn't say they don't, but again, that is the same for US based social media and even more so for traditional media. Almost everyone is pushing an agenda these days.
  Most people believe that they are smart enough to not fall for propaganda. Unfortunately, most, if not all of them are wrong.
  
  Yes, and they also don't care if they're spoon-fed propaganda by their own choice. Because they're idiots.
  
  As if the other socials did not feed you propaganda.
  
  "They do it too" does not make it okay.
  
  I am not saying it is ok. I am saying it is not a factor when choosing between Chinese and US based social media.
  
  Ah yes, the U.S. and China, the only two countries in the world, or at least the only two with social media platforms.
  (Please don't pay attention to the fact that you're using a website for social interactions with a server in the Netherlands or this would be an issue for you.)
  
  What are you even talking about?
  
  You:
  I am saying it is not a factor when choosing between Chinese and US based social media.
  Me:
  You don't have to choose either. You are choosing neither right now by being on Lemmy.
  
  It's still obviously better to use privacy preserving and/or federated services, but that's not something most people know about or understand.
  It is perfectly reasonable for people to not know about niche options and understand complex technologies like federated networks. Different people have different interests. I am sure the two of us are making decisions that seem stupid to other people daily, whether choosing bad toothpaste, unrepaiarable washing machines, agreeing to predatory TOS or whatever else. Everyone can't be expert on everything.
  So the choice most people see is use another Chinese app or use the other large social media, which are basically all US based. And between those two options, the Chinese apps are not that unreasonable.
  
  Or maybe both are unreasonable and neither should be tolerated and maybe rather than defend people making either choice, you should be working (like I do all the time) to get them over to the Fediverse.
  Because, again, they do not have to choose either and you are excusing them being idiots.
  
  <inHardH>
  ¿ wuuuuuuuuuht- ?
- Maybe they were only in it for the propaganda?
  I do love that some of the "refugees" (lol) are just moving to an even more Chinese app though. I don’t think it’s all that many but the propaganda pointing toward propaganda is hilarious.
  
  I think a lot more who move will find out that it's not as simple as spending a few weeks on Duolinguo learning some very basic Chinese to successfully make their way around a Chinese language app with most users also posting in Chinese.
  
  It’s a big reason why I think they’re just falling for more propaganda and why I’m absolutely tickled.
  
  Eh there's a lot of English posts actually but half of rednote is posts about all the Americans flooding it rn so i dunno how normal that is. Probably not normal. Eh i learned how to say "hello" and "awesome", that's probably enough Mandarin
- Honestlyyyyy and yet when I speak about actually ethical alternatives, ppl then be like nah cba, too difficult, too much effort or too complicated when it only takes five mins or less to make an account and yet these same god damn ppl expect you to always listen to them.
  We honestly truly live in a society.
  People only want to make a difference if it only gives them good social points, not actual change or things that enable for them to actually think critically and change their viewpoints.
  Feels pretty hopeless tbh esp as this is only the beginning of 2025 as well but hey at least there’s some logical people on here (though you do get the occasional dumbass on lemmy/mbin)
- Not once, not one single time while using the app, have I ever come across the app pushing Chinese propaganda.
  I understand a lot of you, who have never even tried to give TikTok a chance mind you, don't fully understand that once YOU curate YOUR algorithm, it becomes 90% only what YOU want to see. Trust me, I used to be one of you. I thought it was the dumbest thing to get on an app to watch people do dumb things, or to dance.
  I had a partner at the time who would send me TikToks, and one day they sent me something that really impressed me. It was a very well done explanation of an animal, I can't recall which right now. I was VERY impressed by his explanation of this animal I had never even heard of. So, I made one and followed this person.
  I got LOADS of dumb shit thrown my way at first, but I told the algorithm I didn't want to see these videos, and then... I get 90% of videos targeted towards things I like such as: activism, home improvement tips and tricks, tech related (videos about networking, good alternatives to programs that are ran by shitty people, etc.), skits that I find funny, and others who feel the same way I feel about this world and the way it is currently running. I had always felt like I was one of very very few people who care about these things, but TikTok showed me others who felt the same. People sharing their woes, people actually raising valid points like the Hong Kong protests and even getting millions of views. There is so much more out there than I can type out.
  So, while I understand your face palm moment with this person, it is quite funny to always see these arguments of "TikTok bad" when you haven't even tried to use it, and are only going off of the dumb people who use it and show/like dumb things. Dumb people post on YouTube, but no one talks about how stupid that is. God forbid an app I've never used do that too!
  No hate, as like I said, I was once someone like you. There's dumb shit on every platform, even here. You could've found out that there were plenty of videos that you would enjoy if you had given it a chance.
  And to those who automatically get all patriotic about data and shit, the American social medias are not only worse, but use YOUR data in worse ways than a foreign country can. Not once did TikTok ask me for my location, and only the first time upon opening the app did it request permission for the camera and mic, which I denied, and it never asked again. As far as I know, Facebook/Messenger/Snapchat/Instagram CONSTANTLY want you to give them permissions even if you denied them before.
  I don't expect anyone here to care, because "TikTok bad", but it is what it is.
  
  I was scrolling rednote today and there are a lot of forms of propaganda.
  I noticed a lot of the videos are geared towards showing how great life is in China versus the US. That seems innocuous but it is a form of propaganda.
  At the end of the day our government is stupid because they aren’t taking care of their citizens. That’s not chinas fault. They are simply attacking our weakness which is poor governance.
  
  I agree with this take, mostly.
  I think it's highly likely the app collects far more data than it should on you. And there are probably subtle things they can do to manipulate the broad sentiment without entirely changing everyone's feeds. That being said, yes, the algorithm really is just what you make it to be.
  I just imagine if there's something that the government doesn't like they identify, it disappears. But TikTok is so big it's hard to catch everything I'm sure. Even with AI etc...
  
  Mark Suckerburg tells congress TikTok is a threat
  
  I've literally been paid to make TikTok videos. I gave it a chance and found it wanting, but at least I was paid.
  
  Anything on the rest of the points I made..?
  
  Since you began with a silly assumption that I didn't even know anything about TikTok, I see no reason to continue.
  
  Right..
  Great convo, FlyingSquid. You used to be one of my favorite people on here, but after Trump got reelected, you've gone quite a different direction.
  I hope the rest of your day gets better, man.
  
  You used to be one of my favorite people on here
  Did I or did you have a picture of me in your mind that wasn't real since it included the assumption that I'm some sort of internet illiterate?
  
  Since you began with the silly assumption that the words "a lot of you" specifically signaled you out, when I was speaking generally, I see no reason to continue.
  
  If you weren't grouping me in with that "a lot of you," then you sure could have said I was not part of that group. Since you replied to me directly, what else was I supposed to think but that you meant me?
- Have you actually ever tried using tiktok? Or do you maybe think everybody on there just does silly dances?
  
  You could have scrolled down the tiniest bit...
  
  Oh. Didn't see that. Sorry. Anyway, I'm not quite following what you wanted to say with "So angry TikTok users want to make that worse for themselves out of spite?". What are you proposing here? That people come back to USA owned social networks, because RedNote is "chinese" so it's bad? Is there even a distinction between the twos? One stoles your data, the other one does the same. On RedNote they censor you, sure, but the same could be said about Meta apps, that for example censor Palestinian content. Anyway.. i think i kinda lost the plot. Imma head to bed.
  
  It's possible to use social networks that are not in the pockets of any governments. Or are even commercial ventures at all. You would be using one right now.
- Yes actually. And I kind of like rednote. Nothing wrong with learning mandarin.
- Political content is entirely banned on the app so your assertion that it pushes political propaganda when it refuses to host anything political at all is kind of reactionary fake news.
  
  Who defines what is political content? Who controls it? Since when is all propaganda political?
  Is a video talking about China's terrific business opportunities political? No. Is it propaganda? Yes.
  (Also, "political content is entirely banned" = no photos of the tank man or cartoons of Winnie the Pooh.)
  
  Is a video talking about China’s terrific business opportunities political?
  Yes it is. And it’s not allowed. Would be banned. I have never seen anything remotely close to what you describe here. :)
  I have seen a lot of that on Instagram, though. Instagram has a surprisingly broad tankie community!
  
  Are you really claiming praising China is not allowed and talking about how great it is would get the account banned? Because I do not believe you at all.
  And if you're right, why the hell would anyone want to use a platform where they literally can't say how great the place they are is? Is only trivial and unemotional conversation allowed?
  (I note you never actually said what defines political content or who controls that. I wonder why...)
  
  You clearly came into this conversation with your mind made up so I am under no obligation to answer all your questions :P This is why people don’t like engaging with you
  Flying Squid: “is ice cream with waffles good?”
  me: “literally all my experience shows that the answer is yes”
  Flying Squid: “i do not believe you at all”
  
  No one forced you to engage with me in the first place. You didn't have to respond to my initial comment if you don't like engaging with me.
  And, of course, nothing you said justifies refusing to give answers to very basic questions which happen to be critical of a platform you apparently like.
- Source?
  Also.. ok boomer. lol
  
  Source of what?
  And I'm 47. I'm not even sure what age has to do with this.
  
  You made a factual statement about the app pushing Chinese propaganda. I was wondering what the source was for that claim? Sorry I wasn't clearer.
  Also, lol. I wasn't making fun of your age, I meant it as more of a statement of on your way of thinking. It's very boomer-like - that is to say, you seem quite close-minded and stubborn and unwilling to consider that you might be wrong.
  
  I am constantly wrong. I have probably been wrong in the past year more than you ever have in your entire life.
  Also, you've insulted me and now lied about me, claiming I never am willing to consider I'm wrong, so why the fuck would I show you a source for any claim I ever make at this point?
  I realize I deserve to be treated like shit but that doesn't mean I am going to accept lies about me.
  
  I never insulted you, bud. Sorry if what I said hurt you. Hopefully we can work through this.
  You certainly don't deserve to be treated like shit, and I still think you're pretty cool.
  Hoping you get this and haven't blocked me! lol
  
  I never insulted you, bud.
  You one post ago:
  you seem quite close-minded and stubborn and unwilling to consider that you might be wrong.
  
  Those weren't meant as insults bro.
  It's something many/most of struggle with. It's not a death sentence or a stain on your character or some kind of moral flaw.
  It's just how you communicate. It's not conducive for true connection with others. That's all I'm saying
  I only started realizing it about me like the last 2 years. I never used to actually try and connect with people.. like I'm doing now. Sucks it under these circumstances, but that's life
  I'm free all day man
  
  If it helps, I just went along this comment chain and I think they're honestly trying to provide constructive criticism. I don't see bad intent. A lack of tact, though? Yeah. Definitely.
  Also, I see you're going through some shit. I've seen some of your posts and know you're also dealing with chronic illness. If you need to chat by phone or online, I'm available. Even if you don't take me up on it now, the offer stands, any time. It's tough to deal with even when it doesn't seem like the world is so unstable, so we've all gotta stick together.
  
  Telling people your age in response to a boomer joke is such a xoomer thing to do

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