5 alternative social media platforms you need to know

Following the recent Tiktok ban (and the unban) and the mass migration to Xiao Hong Shu, along with the countless privacy issues people have with conventional social media platforms, the uncertainty has got me (among many others) thinking about alternative social media platforms, and what they have to offer.

I’ve listed a few that I personally use and have tried, after all, what’s the point of posting a fit pic if there’s no one to see it?

Xiao Hong Shu

Xiao Hong Shu, also known as Rednote, is a Chinese social media platform that blends the features of Instagram and TikTok. Users can share posts with images, much like Instagram, and enjoy endless video scrolling similar to TikTok. It’s gaining attention from American users, especially after facing limitations on platforms like TikTok, due to its robust content algorithm. This algorithm can push content regardless of the creator’s size or follower count, making it appealing to new and smaller creators

Midst all the talks about the Tiktok refugee migrations, most of the people are there just to have fun, share and learn more about different cultures. Those of you that have been using Rednote would know that many trends such as Chinese makeup styles, and certain nail styles has been a thing on Rednote way before the rest of the world knew about it.

Lemon8

Lemon8 is a social media platform developed by ByteDance, the same company behind TikTok. It focuses more on image sharing, creating a hybrid experience similar to Instagram and Pinterest. It aims to cater to users who prefer visual content but want a mix of static images and dynamic interactions.

With a tab specifically for fashion, bite-sized fitspo and different shopping spots are easily accessible.

BlueSky

Bluesky is a decentralized alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter). Providing a similar microblogging experience but with a focus on user control and interactions over content and moderation.

BlueSky’s layout, reminiscent of the old Twitter layout, even to the colours (as it was founded by ex Twitter CEO). For those who prefer a more text-based, conversational interaction, that’s not X, #fashionsky on BlueSky might be what you’re looking for - think old twitter, without the trolls (yet) and an algorithm constantly learning from your activities.

Tumblr

The once beloved social media platform, where communities flourished and was considered a generally safe space for people to share their interests. Now presumed a graveyard of inactive accounts. Or is it? The mainstream narrative for tumblr was that it has been dying for the past few years, or that it is already dead. But if you look hard enough, you might find a page or two that resonates with you, that might take you back to it’s prime days, where you might find some remnants of an fashion archival scrapbook, or a digital fanclub for a designer that are still consistently posting till today.

And as the digital trends and internet cycle mills on and on, we find ourselves yet again, reminiscing about the old times, romanticising the black and white grid posts and grunge outfits. Photos of Alex Consani and Hunter Schafer has been making rounds on X as well as Tiktok, with comments such as “this would’ve gone double platinum on tumblr in 2014“. Indicating a clear understanding of what makes this specific visual so identifiable and so recognizable.

You might think, how is this relevant? And to that I say, in a post brain rot (for a lack of better term) internet where everyone is connected, on the few platforms that everyone seems to be using, to be in the know, it’s nice to withdraw to somewhere more ‘secluded’, akin to that of a walk in a quiet forest.

Discord

Last but not least, Discord, a highly customizable space founded in 2015, where you can create communities around specific interests in full privacy and freedom from algorithms, with which users can talk with friends or strangers in real time via voice, text or video chat, with a linear interface very much like Myspace. Tread lightly, as it’s had a number of controversies (as many platforms with full privacy face - like telegram), ranging from violent extremist content to highly inappropriate content. 

Although its primary function is communication while gaming, the platform is also widely used for non-gaming purposes ranging from game commentary, finance and crypto disscussions, online classes, study groups and book clubs. While the community for fashion is still small, but the servers that are tagged with fashion are ever growing. One of such servers are FASHION, where people can get and post fashion advice, as well as legit checking their online finds, and holding ‘outfit battles’ where participants will post their fit-pics, and the community vote on which one they prefer. Besides from communities, more and more brands are trying to create their own space by opening a channel, such as the reselling site StockX, in order to build a community of their own.