Young users seek refuge on Lemon8 and Coverstar

Previously little-known social media platforms are stuck at the top of app store charts as young Australians seek shelter from the social media ban in places they previously tended to ignore.

So, what are the vibes like inside these refuges?

Lemon8 is the most prominent of the alternative apps. It feels a lot like a TikTok take on Instagram, as it should, given it’s powered by TikTok parent company Bytedance. You have grids of images and videos posted by people you follow, as well as an endless scroll of algorithmic “for you” content. It has even more of a Wild West feel than Instagram, fairly innocuous skincare and food posts mixed with extreme sports, highly sexualised engagement bait, lewd jokes and plenty of fake news.

I could feel the algorithm trying to grasp on to the kind of content I wanted over the course of the day I used it, and although I was mainly trying to find new Australian users escaping the social ban, I was also getting increasingly aggressive generic rants and gun, motorbike and military content.

There are many recent posts discussing the desperate move from TikTok to Lemon8 to dodge the ban, some of them charmingly optimistic and others from people who clearly cannot stop turning their every idea into melodramatic content. (And also some with AI-generated Albanese replies, which are fun.)

Coverstar is another app rising the charts following the social media ban. It’s basically TikTok with an extra focus on safety. There are no direct messages, all content is moderated before it can be viewed, kids need parental permission to start posting, and there is a hardline stance against bullying, sexualised content or aggression. You can still save or duet videos that others post.

To be honest, I felt pretty awkward looking through it as I’m nearly 30 years older than most the people starring in the videos, and it’s weird that they’re all posting publicly. But the overall vibes are of funny kids showing off their own takes on various challenges and trends. The lack of edgy content is probably a negative for young teens looking for a new doomscroll, and there are still influencers, ads and algorithms here.

Overall, young Australians on these apps have the energy of a gleefully dancing dodgeball player who’s just missed being hit, even if they know their time is coming soon enough. At least, that’s the vibe of the ones bold enough to announce themselves as young Australians on social media.