Sometimes people, including teens, spend too much time on social media. Sometimes social media isn’t good for us. Sometimes it would be better to set down the phone and do something else. Yet, other times, social media is not only helpful but life saving.

If your teens are spending a lot of time on TikTok, they may be learning more than dances. They might also be learning important advice that could save their lives if they are ever in danger.

The idea of our kids going missing is so horrible that we honestly don’t even like to think about it, but it’s better to help make sure our kids are armed with the knowledge of how to get help if they are ever kidnapped than to ignore the possibility that it could happen.

One 16-year-old girl who went missing from her home in North Carolina was rescued because she learned a hand gesture on TikTok that is basically a cry for help. She was in a car with her kidnapper, and she made the gesture over and over to nearby cars. Many people probably didn’t know what she was doing, what it meant or weren’t even paying attention. However, one car noticed the hand gesture, knew what it meant, and called the police on her behalf.

Watch the video below to learn more about this teen’s story and to learn how to do this SOS hand gesture for yourself.

The hand gesture is a simple one and easy to do with just one hand. It’s important to know this hand gesture in case you are ever in danger or in case you see someone else making the hand gesture so that you can call for help.

In order to make the hand gesture, hold your hand with the palm facing out. Then put your thumb so it’s touching your palm. Then curl your fingers down to trap your thumb, indicating that you are trapped.

The man who kidnapped the teenage girl has been arrested thanks to her quick thinking and the help of strangers in a nearby car.

Are you going to teach this hand gesture to your family? Does your family have a code word that means they need help?