It had been defeated, but popped back up again, twice by my count. And it looks like this time, the TikTok ban will go through. People on TikTok seemed resigned to this almost too quickly, and after the Supreme Court hearing that we watched on TikTok, it seemed inevitable. We all started asking where we would go, with different people going different places — Substack, Youtube, the-I-can-hardly-make-myself-say-the-name-Gram — and posting links these other social media platforms in Linktrees posted on their bios.

I went to sleep on Sunday night, and woke up Monday morning to all these compilation TikToks that people began producing. It made me realize how much I enjoy being on TikTok, and how much I was going to miss it. It kinda hit me, and I cried a little. But then, a miracle.

Someone posted how it would be hilarious if people just went and signed up for the Chinese version of TikTok in protest, and from there someone found the Red Note app. It is not actually the Chinese TikTok but is very similar - same lay out and functionality and they say the algorithm is very very good, maybe even better than TIkTok’s. It is actually called Red Notebook or Little Red Book in Mandarin, but we have since been taught how to say the name in Mandarin: Xiao Hong Shu. Little Red Book.

Overnight, the app has become the number one selling app in the Apple store, and a lot of translation has happened (since it was in Mandarin to begin with). We have been greeted with kindness to which we are unaccustomed with introductions to the app and it’s history,  TikTok refugee camps where we can ask questions, Mandarin lessons, its memes beginning to mingle with our TikTok memes. We are asked to put Mandarin subtitles for our videos, and they have begun putting English subtitles, so we can communicate. As one person put it, they can tell we are very lost, and have named us, affectionately, TikTok refugees.

If any significant portion of the 170 million American people1 (including Kevin Bacon. who arrived today) can coordinate to move en mass to an app overnight, just imagine what else we can get up to. The Brits have started showing up today, I noticed…. The Canadians are already well represented… I have been writing all week about the rising desire for community, and what stands in our way of being able to build communities with others. This event was perfectly timed for maximum hope. 🙏🏼

Let me just end by saying, there is a lot of Luigi thirst traps over on Xiao Hong Shu and we can say all the words. I am sure there will be limits, but for now we are basking in the sunshine feeling of freedom.