ugh

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Cake day: January 21st, 2025

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  • Lol ugh. My baseline was grumpy and extremely sad 80% of my week. They started me in Lexapro last November… week of election. Terrible idea. I wasn’t sure if I was experiencing pill side effects or dealing with the election results. After two months it was clear it wasn’t helping so we upped my dosage right in time for the fires that burnt my city down. I didn’t think it was going to help at all but by mid January I was starting to experience little moments of joy. Initially, those bursts scared me. I was like what even is this emotion? My doctor was like, its normal as you adjust. It only lasted about two weeks. Now I am emotionally leveled out but back to the baseline of grump, but at least I’m not disabling levels sad. 😅




















  • So because it’s behind a strong paywall I was only able to scrape the page source get the story.

    The story reveals an ironic turn of events in early 2025 regarding social media platforms and US-China tech relations:

    1. A surge of American users have begun flocking to Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), a Chinese social media app, in protest of potential TikTok restrictions in the US. They’re doing this in the name of “free speech” - which is ironic given China’s strict content controls.

    2. Key statistics:

    • In early 2025, 22% of Xiaohongshu’s total app downloads came from the US (up from just 2% in the same period in 2024)
    • Downloads increased more than 20 times in a single week in January 2025
    1. This has created several challenges for Xiaohongshu:
    • The platform was caught off guard and initially had no capacity for censoring English content
    • Existing Chinese users (70% female, half born after 1995) are complaining about the flood of foreign posts
    • The company had to modify its algorithms to show less English content to Chinese users
    1. The situation has also created some unique opportunities:
    • Chinese brands like Luckin Coffee and Li Auto are using the platform to reach American audiences
    • It may serve as an unofficial tourism campaign for China
    • The platform has become a rare bridge for US-China civilian exchange, as it’s one of the few Chinese apps that allows foreign users to register without strict ID verification
    1. However, there are concerns about sustainability:
    • Xiaohongshu employs over 30% of its 15,000 workers as content censors
    • The platform must balance keeping Chinese regulators happy while accommodating new foreign users
    • The language barrier and different user expectations pose long-term challenges

    The situation highlights the complex dynamics of US-China tech relations and the unintended consequences of attempts to restrict social media platforms.