During the #TikTokBan some have characterized #RedNote as an opportunity for #Chinese and western netizens to finally talk to each other, I wonder if anything came out of that? Because from my experience I see that some #international #students (especially Chinese, but certainly applicable to others as well) - already in the West and have little language barrier - don't meaningfully interact outside of their ethnic groups (beyond necessity), and the cause of that should be explored.

#culture

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@cybertailor My question is mainly focusing on cross-cultural interaction - including in real life - rather than the specifics of RedNote. One might recall that in the beginning of Pitch Perfect (2012), Beca's Korean American roommate only interacts within their ethnic group; while this stereotype isn't really accurate of Asian Americans (ie. 2nd-gen immigrants and descendents), it is, at least in my experience in North America, painfully accurate for international students of some origins.

@cybertailor In the case of Chinese international students (reminder: I am one), we have our own apps for everything - IM, social media, food delivery, so it could be hypothesized that they don't need to interact with the outgroup beyond necessity; yet, despite living in an international environment, they just seem unmotivated to interact, which is why I said that the cause should be investigated. Services/businesses (career/academic) specifically catering to them could also play a role.

@cybertailor Now back to RedNote. Note that my family uses it as a source for generic life tips (deals, alerts, career/school advice) and as a second-hand marketplace, but also for TikTok-like entertainment, so I know what the platform is like. The whole "non-political" aspect for Chinese platforms and culture is really a double-edged sword: legally, platforms must regulate such speech (hence algospeak); culturally, we're taught to always defend our own country, even if the criticisms are valid.

@cybertailor The other concern that I've read about on the Chinese-speaking fediverse is that RedNote may be gradually isolating western users algorithmically, suggesting that the authorities don't want integration. Some even suggest that different word filters exist for western users - one anecdote suggested that western users can say "lesbian" but Chinese users can't do the same! - hence my former question on what really came out of that.