Duolingo sees 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid TikTok ban and move to RedNote
Duolingo sees 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid TikTok ban and move to RedNote
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
Telling people your age in response to a boomer joke is such a xoomer thing to do