January 22, 2025

Social Media Shakeup: As TikTok’s future hangs in the balance, another Chinese-owned app gains traction amongst students

With TikTok’s temporary shutdown dominating headlines, many users quickly adapted by exploring new platforms to connect and express themselves. Leading the charge is RedNote, or Xiaohongshu (“Little Red Book”), a Chinese social media app that quickly became one of the most downloaded apps last week. RedNote creates a unique space for connection and creativity, drawing users in with its visually-driven lifestyle content and global audience. While most of the platform’s content is in Mandarin, many U.S. users are embracing the challenge, using translation tools or connecting with bilingual users to explore the new platform.

For educators, the TikTok ban and the rise of RedNote provide an opportunity to examine how important these apps are to students’ lives and how they will find ways to connect online. This makes empowering them with modern life skills to make high-character decisions as they navigate their online worlds – no matter the app – more important than ever. 

What Happened to TikTok?

TikTok’s temporary shutdown in January 2025 was the result of escalating U.S. government concerns about its Chinese ownership and the risk of user data being accessed by the Chinese government. Critics have scrutinized TikTok, owned by ByteDance, for potentially enabling surveillance or propaganda.

The situation escalated in early 2024 when U.S. lawmakers passed legislation requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell its stake in the platform or face a ban. After months of legal battles, TikTok suspended services temporarily but recently received a 90-day extension to comply with the ruling.

This period of uncertainty pushed many users to explore alternative platforms like RedNote, which offers similar opportunities for video sharing and creative expression. RedNote has quickly emerged as a standout, drawing 700,000 new U.S. users in just two days. However, RedNote also carries its own risks, including privacy and data concerns and content moderation challenges. Given its Chinese ownership, RedNote could face similar scrutiny and potential bans as discussions around foreign influence in social media continue to grow.

TikTok is safe for 90 days – what now?

With TikTok granted a 90-day extension, its future in the U.S. remains uncertain, leaving students and social media influencers in limbo. This extension gives ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, a final chance to comply with U.S. demands to sell its ownership stake. Without a resolution, TikTok could face a permanent ban, forcing millions of users to reconsider how and where they connect online.

In the meantime, many students are already exploring alternatives like RedNote, a platform rapidly gaining popularity, while influencers grapple with how to maintain their reach and audience should TikTok disappear for good. This social media shift highlights the ever-changing nature of technology, reminding us how quickly platforms evolve and the importance of equipping students with modern life skills that will empower them to navigate any online space in ways that fuel their health, happiness, and future success

Here’s how:

  1. Prepare Students for Platform Shifts
    Social media platforms will come and go (remember MySpace?), but the skills to evaluate them are timeless. As students may join new online spaces like RedNote, schools can equip them with tools to assess platforms critically by asking:

    • Who owns this platform, and what are the company’s values?
    • How does it manage privacy and security?
    • What impact does it have on my mental health and relationships?
  2. Foster Media Literacy
    The trend of creators revealing staged content underscores the importance of critical thinking. Guide students to analyze online content with questions like:

    • Is this content authentic or staged?
    • What is the creator’s intent?
    • How does this influence my perception of myself or others?
  3. Encourage Healthy Online Boundaries
    With students spending an average of over five hours a day online, schools can teach the importance of balancing screen time with offline activities. Help students reflect by asking:

    • How much time do I spend on social media daily, and how does it affect my mood or focus?
    • What activities or hobbies can I prioritize offline to recharge and stay balanced?
    • How can I use tools like screen time trackers or focus modes to set boundaries and stay in control of my tech use?

Navigating the Future of Social Media

Whether TikTok remains or fades, one thing is clear: social media is how students are social, and they will continue to adapt and find ways to connect. Platforms like RedNote remind us of the power — and challenges — of social media to shape relationships, identities, and connections.

By prioritizing media literacy, healthy tech habits, and leaning into student voice, schools can equip students with the tools to navigate their social world in positive, high-character ways.

Ready to equip your students with the skills they need to thrive in a tech-driven world? Discover how #WinAtSocial empowers schools to cultivate modern life skills, foster digital confidence, and prepare students for a connected future. Request a demo here!


The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.