I stopped using HelloTalk after a few days
I noticed that most people there are not really interested in learning new language now, it's more of sharing their lifestyles or ranting about their lives, with an international audience.
Some are even there to flirt. I've seen pretty girls and handsome guys getting hit on their posts with weird and overly personal questions. While the "normal" looking ones hardly get any comments.
And some are even there to argue about politics and religion. As if threads, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, reddit are not enough.
Then there are those that are actually interested in learning tend to be aggressive. They'll "wave" you and spam messages you everyday until you reply to practice English with you as if they're not aware that you're not on social media 24/7 and have a life to live. There are weird ones that get offended by you don't reply promptly that they send angry messages like a spoiled child wanting attention that I had to block them.
It makes me wonder what happened? I first used it in 2019 and it was actually great. But I stopped using in 2020 due to life happenings and resume it now in 2026 and surprised to see how toxic it became.
I also noticed that most young Japanese there now are the ones that are tired of their own country and culture, they want to move abroad, so they find anyone who loves talking about Japan a turn-off. They rather talk about other countries like Western Europe (mostly).
In the end, I feel like I'm on Tinder. You tend to see the worse version of people there who are always angry, that the best place to meet people is still offline. Like a few of my Japanese friends that I met at work.
So, goodbye HelloTalk. I don't need another social media where the edgy people are. Life is too short for that. 😂
YOU ROCK, TUMBLR. 🤘🏼
