Molly Hardwick
Gen Z culture consists of starting your sentences with: ‘I saw this TikTok video….’
How often do we share information that seems to be trending on the app at that particular moment? It could be that the new way of learning through social media is crucial to the next generation.
A way of learning that saves lives
A sixteen-year-old girl saved her own life on 4th November 2021 by using a hand gesture she had learnt on TikTok to signal distress in her kidnapper’s car in Kentucky. A nearby motorist, who recognised the gesture, followed the car. This lead to the subsequent arrest of the kidnapper, and the young girl being led to safety.
The Canadian Women’s Foundation introduced the gesture as a discrete method of communication for women to show they are in danger. The original gesture was directed towards domestic abuse victims, yet the concept really took off when a creator passed on this knowledge through TikTok, with the video reaching 8.1M views and 37K shares.
https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelschiumo/video/6982415524508552454?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
The appeal of bite-sized learning
Would the majority of young people know or seek out these issues if it weren’t for their favourite app?
It’s hard to say. But in this case, it was not only the young girl who was aware of the gesture and knew it could save her life, but also the motorist who had seen it online. It is wholly remarkable that the app can push out such important information to a wide array of consumers. It is even more astounding that this information can become common knowledge in society.
“It is a new form of education which engages users and allows them to watch videos they are interested in.”
Celebrating the positives of social media
As much as social media platforms like TikTok have been under scrutiny due to their impact on teenagers’ self-esteem and concentration span, the story of the young girl proves that the app can be a strong medium for sharing information.
This means that charities, news sources and other organisations can really push their information out there for people to see. While videos may be fast paced, it may be just what the next generation need in order to learn brief tips which could potentially save their lives.
On the surface, this is an example of a smart and brave young woman who was ultimately successful in saving her own life. Moreover, it serves as a vital reminder that information shared on social media can really be positive, and could indicate that it is the way to go for providing education to the next generation.
Featured image courtesy of Solen Feyissa on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
