chapotraphouse

Also, for us, I think we need to acknowledge that we've been in this place for a long time, we've been through the deprogramming process, and we shouldn't take it lightly that people are actually learning things through this little adventure to RedNote. The people at the base of the mountain could not even see it, meanwhile we've been claiming it for years now, many of us for much longer, and I only started unlearning things around 5 years ago.

The thing that I recall before reeducating myself is that China never entered my mind. China was not something that I ever really thought about, until there was some news story about it. I think for many of these people, it's the same. China isn't even background noise. It only exists when the news media reports on it.

So even learning basic facts about China blows their mind. The fact that they're learning these basic facts directly from Chinese people, makes it irrefutable. The Chinese people on the app are so welcoming and friendly and funny that it's also disarming, making the experiences they share that much more acceptable.

This moment will eventually pass. The novelty will likely wear off and new people coming to the platform might drop off. I think for the people who are engaging now, though, this is a massive and collective deprogramming moment.