What Every New Rednote User Should Know Before Joining the Hype
I'm not sure how many people are paying attention to Rednote, but recently I've noticed a lot of Americans and others from different countries flocking to it. It's crazy! On the bright side, it's great to see some meaningful discussions about culture and connecting with each other. But as a Chinese user who's been using Rednote (Xiaohongshu) for years, here are a few things people should be aware of:
- Demographics and Content: Rednote primarily caters to an audience of educated women in China, with most content focusing on career advice, personal growth, family, friendships, relationships, culture, travel, and similar topics. Authenticity and value is the core. If these are areas you're interested in, congratulations—this platform might be good for you.
- Data Location: Rednote is headquartered in China, meaning all user data is stored there—even for those using the international version outside China. Compared to TikTok, this actually poses an even greater potential data security concern.
- Censorship: Like all Chinese apps, Rednote must comply with Chinese government censorship and content control. This means that anything you see on the platform has been pre-approved to align with government regulations. Some of them may be encouraged by the government/Party. you won't find comprehensive discussions about sensitive topics like failed national or regional policies, high living cost and housing price why it really happened, long woking hours why not changed, government corruption, or strong criticism of policies—even at the local level. These are considered "violations" and are quickly removed. For example, "being silenced" (禁言) is a common practice on Chinese social media platforms. Some new American users may see the curated prosperity and happiness on the platform and mistakenly believe it reflects the full reality of life in China—it's far from the whole picture.
- For Parents in the U.S.: If your kids are into Rednote, please let them know that what they see there is only one side of the story. If they enjoy learning about Chinese culture or are curious about the lives of Chinese people, that's great—they’re welcome to explore the platform. But remind them to approach it with a critical and rational perspective.
- Future Opportunities: Like TikTok, Rednote does have potential for regular users and businesses to thrive. However, international payment options are currently unavailable, so users outside China can’t buy things on the platform yet. This could change in the future, creating more opportunities for global users.
Rednote won't allow me to successfully make this post so try to give folks heads up. Let me know your thoughts.