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For those not in the know, there’s something really cool happening on the internet right now.
When Trump offered to save the day for TikTok users, it came at a great cost. The platform, like Twitter, Facebook, and now even Threads, has fallen into the MAGA sphere of influence. Initially, US users were looking for a replacement because TikTok was going away completely. This led to many users considering Xiaohongshu (小红书, aka RedNote or Little Red Book) as an alternative app, but unlike TikTok, they found that the app had no wall between Chinese and American netizens.
It was thought that with TikTok’s reopening to US users, people would leave. But then, to their horror, the TikTok refugees found that the new TikTok was reportedly censoring narratives Trumpists didn’t want to hear about, leading to what some users say was a very different experience. The very thing the Chinese government had long been criticized by Republicans for doing seemed to now be happening under Donald Trump.
Xiaohongshu isn’t a bastion of totally free speech by any means. The platform has fairly strict rules against being unfriendly, fanning the flames of bigotry, and otherwise making things unpleasant. It also isn’t a place that welcomes criticism of China’s government for obvious reasons. But, unlike the nightmare US-dominated social media has become, the app has become a place that’s both friendly to criticism of Trump and a great place for building international connections.
What I’m seeing on this app is really quite surprising. Distrust across oceans is evaporating as people in both countries are seeing that those on the other side are trying to get through life just like them. The craziest rumors about life in China and life in the United States are getting dispelled, but at the same time, we are all becoming familiar with the very real struggles and problems we didn’t know about. A refuge from endless trolling and abuse has also given people opposed to the Trump Regime space to think, organize, and brainstorm about what comes next, often with input from Chinese people with fresh perspectives on getting through similar struggles.
Seeing the continued progress of clean technology in China has also been inspirational. Instead of having to hear about how awful things are for the future of our planet on US-based social media, I’ve been able to see that a country far larger than ours is still chugging along developing and deploying EVs, AVs, e-bikes and other micromobility, solar, storage, and wind. There’s nothing controversial about any of this, and people showing up to spread FUD about clean technologies (or any other topic, really) are quickly expelled.
If you’re interested in checking this out, be sure to head over to the app and follow the official CleanTechnica account!
The Gift Of Curiosity Can Help Us Get Through These Tough Times For Freedom and Clean Technology
A recent video I found on the site really shows us the value of these international connections. In it, Curious Abe from Guangdong shares his thoughts after seeing many Americans express their fears and struggles during these opening weeks of the Trump Regime. He points out that real strength is being able to define our own narratives about right and wrong instead of letting others tell us how to think. To get there, we have to draw on three sources of internal strength:
- The will to survive
- Compassion
- Curiosity
The first one is obvious, but the will to survive without compassion leads to some serious moral errors. Letting bad people push “us vs them” narratives, scapegoating, and fear-based messaging into our minds makes our moral compass lose its lock on true north. This leaves us relying on stronger people to define right and wrong for us, and as we know, people who believe absurdities are capable of committing great atrocities. Compassion connects us to something greater than ourselves.
Curiosity is also a great source of strength. Abe explains that curiosity frees us from needing a fixed outcome. In other words, it frees us to consider alternatives to what we hoped for earlier. While we might feel like living in interesting times is a curse, the times are still going to be interesting, and we can find joy in the journey.
People naturally are curious, and nearly all of us are born that way. But, we have to protect our mental state and stay curious. Compassion is a big part of keeping a curious mindset, as is mental peace and stability. Doom and gloom, harassment, threats, and actions taken against us are all calculated as robbing us of the peace we need to stay curious, and it’s best to roll with all of these punches.
Applying This To Clean Technology More
Again, I’m not trying to paint Xiaohongshu as some sort of social media utopia and/or a perfect refuge for liberalism of whatever flavor you might find most appealing. You’re not going to be able to go there and get in intense debates about things like the future of Taiwan or share Winnie Xi memes. All of that stuff is still acceptable on Twitter, if that’s your style.
What I will say is that the managed, peaceful environment on the platform has helped me out of a slump of clean technology writing and activities. Getting my brain out of the muck has allowed me to get back into curious mode and start finding ways forward. Not only am I finding things to write about again, but I’m also making connections with companies in China who might be interested in working with CleanTechnica on some really cool projects. It has also helped me find ideas for other businesses I’m involved in.
Whether you choose to head over there and follow us or not, the biggest thing I’d recommend right now is finding peace, even if for just a few minutes a day. I also recommend finding joy in things, even if only to defy those who don’t want us to have that. We all need to be working on taking better care of ourselves right now.
Featured image: a screenshot of our Xiaohongshu account.
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