Power Of The People
When a Social Media Platform Causes a Cascade Effect
If you would have asked me last week - of even a couple of days ago - whether the upcoming TikTok ban (scheduled to go into effect January 19) was going to come to fruition or not, I would have said “Yes, I believe it will;” I already said as much three weeks ago, and I would have been just as confident in my assessment as I was then.
Now, however, I have serious doubts. Indeed, recent events make me think the Chinese app may find a way to rise from the political swamp after all… and it is because of us unruly American commoners.
It appears the Powers in DC just assumed that once TikTok was gone that US users would simply gravitate to what was available here in the States. Instagram [IG] - with its ”Reels” - seemed a likely haven, and as the CEO of IG’s parent company, Mark Zuckerberg, has been suddenly playing the ‘free speech’ card (and kissing up to incoming President Donald Trump), I think they were anticipating a wildly successful windfall from TikTok’s disappearance.
The American people, however, had other ideas…
TikTok users flock to Chinese app RedNote as US ban looms
BBC World
No one - and I mean NO ONE - expected this…
TikTok users in the US are migrating to a Chinese app called RedNote with the threat of a ban just days away. The move by users who call themselves "TikTok refugees" has made RedNote the most downloaded app on Apple's US App Store on Monday.
Turns out, Americans - no matter their political background - do not enjoy being openly manipulated. So much so that they will download an app from an allegedly hostile power (ironically, the same power which stands accused of using TikTok to alleged ‘spy’ on Americans), even though a vast majority of the new app-of-choice is not even in English.
Talk about misreading the room.
That noted, there are a lot of factors in play here. The biggest is undoubtedly the fact no one trusts Meta, the aforementioned parent company of IG, and also… well, IG’s algorithm sucks beyond belief; nobody wants to use it.
Then there is the strong desire to tell our Globalist government to go do most unpleasant things to itself, while others simply want a change in social media experience (RedNote, or - as it is commonly called here in the States, ‘RedBook’ - is an extremely positive and friendly app). And still others?
Well, a few of us just did it for the lulz.
Now, here is why I think TikTok will be saved, in some manner or another: It’s the devil that they know… the devil they can somewhat control. It never occurred to DC that Americans might jump ship for a different Chinese app, much less one like RedBook (which is a more-closely-aligned-with-the-CCP app than TikTok ever was), and it has blindsided them.
And they are spooked.
Lawmakers urge Biden to extend Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok ban: 'Not the answer'
USA Today
Seriously spooked…
Some lawmakers are urging President Joe Biden and the U.S. Supreme Court to take steps to prevent TikTok from being banned Sunday under a law they argue would come at the expense of free speech for millions of Americans.
Oh-hooo - so NOW they are magically concerned about ‘free speech.’ Well, how about that?
The article does not mention a tie between this sudden change of heart and RedBook’s rise, but I have watched these scoundrels long enough to read the writing on the wall: They know they overreached, misjudged us uncontrollable commoners, and are left scrambling to regain a measure of said-control.
Or, at minimum… save face. Because politics.
Furthermore, they know they have already taken their ‘censoring’ shot with TikTok; if they were to go after RedBook next, the political blowback might be too overwhelming to withstand. With TikTok they have a platform that is at least ostensibly willing to work with them, so they are desperate to reign in the situation… and do so quickly.
The question is… will they be able to, or is it too-far gone to bring back?
I am almost certain that, come January 20, millions of people in the United States will be doing what they have been doing for years; watching TikTok while they celebrate (or mourn) a global event, this one being the inauguration of a second Trump administration.
And it will be because a bunch of untamable Americans flipped the bird to the Elitists in our nation’s capitol - and to all those mighty-mighties in Davos and London and NYC - and said, “You cannot control us.”
To be honest, even though I have no love for TikTok these days? I despise DC more, so if a little rebellion upsets their precariously-balanced fruit-cart?
Let them apples roll…
Thank you for your continued support, and - if not already a subscriber - join me as we build a unique Substack subculture of information, entertainment, and enlightenment.
Other methods to support The Stone Age, and my various efforts
Notes…
-- Unless otherwise credited, all images were generated by the author, using NightCafe, Grok, or Substack’s AI Image Tool, with digital alterations when desired or needed.
The power of the people is why government tries to cancel it out.
In fact, there are dozens of platforms out there. I for one am tempted by the Taiwanese platform called Plurk, because «plurk-plurk-plurk» seems to be an accurate phonetical representation of what humans are doing on the interwebs.