criminal detainment, digital awareness, illegal captivity, online safety, personal vigilance, quick thinking, resilience in adversity, unconventional solutions, xiao jia's escape

A 10-Yuan Note to Freedom: The Ingenious Escape of Xiao Jia

In a world where we often take the smallest denominations of currency for granted, a young man from Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, turned a 10-yuan note into his lifeline. This is the story of Xiao Jia, whose quick thinking and resilience led to a dramatic escape from illegal captivity.  The lure of a new friendship Xiao ...

Max Lu

Man holding a smartphone and looking at the icons for his apps.

Deadly TikTok Challenges for Teens That Parents Should Know About

TikTok is not inherently dangerous. But like many social media platforms, it gives people, especially teens, an audience anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. It also offers young people constant emotional feedback and validation through short videos and instant gratification through clicks. The prevalence of challenges on TikTok, especially during and after COVID-19, has raised concerns ...

Nathan Machoka

TikTok on a smartphone.

Virtual Influencers: Meet the AI-Generated Figures Posing as Your New Online Friends

The future of influence is here: a digital avatar that captivates millions of adoring fans while offering unparalleled customization and round-the-clock availability. Virtual influencers are transforming the way content is created, consumed, and marketed online. They represent an electrifying dance between cutting-edge technology and our desire for connection. But at the same time, they are ...

Troy Oakes

Virtual influencers.

Accused of Harvesting Personal Data of Children: May Cost TikTok Billions

With over 2 billion downloads and over 680 million users per month, TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly, is one of the best-known video sharing and content creating platforms. The security of our online data has come very much to the fore. Children may not be fully aware of all the security and safety implications surrounding ...

Jack Roberts

Snapchat and TicTok apps on a mobile phone.