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Beyond the dances and cute cat videos, TikTok trends may have life-saving value. This was the case for a young girl in Kentucky in early November when she used a hand gesture popularised on the video-sharing app while she was in the car of a kidnapper. The gesture was created as a way for women in domestic violence situations to silently signal for help over video.
On November 5, a driver spotted a teenager in a car driven by an older man on a highway in Kentucky. The young girl made a hand signal, tucking her thumb into her palm and closing her fingers into a fist.
Recognizing the signal, the driver called the police, who arrested the older man and found that the young girl in the car had been reported missing in North Carolina two days prior.
The hand gesture was created as part of the “Signal for Help” campaign of the Canadian Women’s Foundation at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, to give people stuck at home with abusive partners an avenue to ask for help “without being overheard and without leaving a digital trace”. The silent hand signal was a perfect solution during a time of increased home isolation – but also more video calls between friends, family and colleagues.
Then, some TikTok creators got wind of the hand gesture and began sharing it widely. One video, published on October 30 by two feminist activists, showing people how to use the signal garnered over 600 thousand views.
Others acted out the gesture being used in various scenarios.
Other methods have been shared on social media to…
Source : france24
