New environment

In January, a US Supreme Court-enforced ban of TikTok instigated by the Biden administration prompted a significant migration of its users to RedNote.

However, TikTok has remained available in app stores in the US, following a decision by President Donald Trump to delay the proposed ban on the platform. The ban, due to so-called national security concerns, was postponed for 75 days via an executive order, with the possibility of further extensions, Xinhua News Agency reported.

On fears of the TikTok ban, RedNote's number of users in the United States soared from about 300,000 to 3 million in a week, according to US-based PC Magazine.

Many of these self-proclaimed "TikTok refugees" were concerned that if TikTok was banned, there would be nothing to replace it.

Makeenie Robinson, a former TikTok user and graduate student in her early 20s, said it was bound to be tough for people to "just get up and move on".

"We saw when it (TikTok) had only been over for a few hours. People were constantly going back and clicking," she said of the initial ban, adding it was hard for people to let go of TikTok because it was an integral part of their routine.

However, if RedNote was the next big trend, people needed to be part of it, said Robinson. "Being TikTok 'refugees' is just another way of saying they need to relocate to a social media environment that provides the same enjoyment," she said.

Tito Colon, an American in his 20s, said he is more attached to the content than to the platform itself. On some levels he mourned the loss of TikTok, but he added he is ready to move on to the next platform.

Colon said he found it funny that people protested the situation by doing exactly what the US government feared. While he didn't consider himself a "TikTok refugee" or switch to RedNote, he understands why others did, as these platforms serve as outlets for self-expression.

Adrien Halliez, a political science professor at Drake University with expertise in politics and mass media, described it as a "Gen Z problem".

"TikTok is a platform that appeals to the younger generations in the US, Gen Z specifically, and some millennials. When you think about the decision of a ban, you're thinking about something that alters their daily lives," said Halliez, adding it was the first time many of them had felt the impact of a political decision on their lives.

"For those disinterested in politics, they see something they enjoy daily, sometimes for hours, taken away. So there is a tendency to dramatize or feel emotional about the ban and use terms like 'refugee'," he said.

TikTok's base is younger when compared with other platforms like X and Facebook, which also have a greater mix of users. Fifty-five percent of TikTok users are under 30 and are mainly young Gen Z people, according to analysis by Exploding Topics.

Halliez believes that while the ban primarily affects Gen Z, it could set a precedent for broader restrictions that might impact future generations.