I consider it a point of pride to say I’m not a YouTube guy. And though a lot of what I’m trying to do for a living involves a computer and the internet, I’ll be honest and say I’m a fan of neither. Give me a letter rather than an email and a fountain pen instead of a keyboard. I understand letters and fountain pens a lot better.
But folks like me are in the minority these days. I know people who spend hours on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest and whatever else is the Internet’s version of the flavor of the week. I’d throw YouTube on that list, too. From what I understand, YouTube’s the place to be.
Especially if you’re a kid.
And just as certain internet sites become fads, certain aspects of those sites become fads as well. From what I understand, the newest and greatest is the “Am I pretty or ugly?” videos posted by adolescent girls. Like this one:
So far about four million people have watched that young lady. Four million. And of those four million, almost a hundred thousand kind souls have saw fit to voice their opinion.
Some offer advice, like this one:
At the moment I would say you are a cute girl with potential. If you want to move toward the more attractive look, then do away with the silly hats and things like that. Dress the part of who you think you want to be. Look up the mathmatical ratio for beauty and have yuor entire body measured. The closer to teh ratio you are the more beautiful you are. Don’t get FAT. eventually men will be attracted to your sexuality. Develope this and you will move from sort of cute to hot.
Others are more kind:
you are not ugly trust me and im only 12 you are not ugly if people say u r ugly that means they are ugly on the inside and out you are a beautiful person and you will be even more
beautiful when you are older if people call u ugly dont be alarmed by that just trust your heart and trut what is is trying to tell you!!!!stand up to them! say you are not ugly and that just walk away thanks… and remember listen to ur heart and trust what you believe ur beautiful 🙂
Many resemble this comment:
yes you are ugly kill yourself
And then of course, being the internet, there are several who go like this:
MY GOD SHES HOT. ID WRECK THAT
I could say a lot about something like this. I could talk about how destructive the internet can be. Or how mean people are. Or how the comment section of a YouTube video is a damning indictment of the American educational system.
But I just want to talk about the girl.
That so much of a young person’s opinion of him or herself is based upon outward appearance is a given. It’s always been that way. And let me tell you, that sort of thing isn’t confined to females alone. Guys look in the mirror, too. And more often than not, what’s shining back at them isn’t what we consider good.
What is amazing to me (amazing and also so, so sad) is that these people are now taking to the internet for validation. It’s Look at me and Pay attention to me and Love me. We live in a Reality TV world, where one’s value and worth is increasingly measured by the number of page views and comments and followers and “friends” we receive.
And for that, I pity that poor girl. I pity us all.
