Bullied Girl Pleads on YouTube: Am I Pretty or Ugly?

(Newser) – A 13-year-old girl relentlessly bullied at her Denver school posted a heart-wrenching YouTube video pleading with viewers to tell her if she's pretty or ugly. Some of the comments have been even more brutal than her treatment at school. "It hurt me to... More »

(Newser) – A 13-year-old girl relentlessly bullied at her Denver school posted a heart-wrenching YouTube video pleading with viewers to tell her if she's pretty or ugly. Some of the comments have been even more brutal than her treatment at school. "It hurt me to see those comments about my daughter," said Naomi Gibson, whose daughter, Faye, is called ugly daily at school. Faye isn't alone in turning to the Internet for help. Teens across the nation are desperately searching for some kind of validation from the army of faceless YouTube viewers, reports ABC News. "Deep down inside, all girls know that other people's opinions don't matter, but we still go to other people for help because we don't believe what people say," says Faye.

Fragile teen egos seeking reassurance isn't a new situation, but new technological frontiers have created a strange new world that can wreak havoc in young lives. Teens' vulnerabilities are now exposed to thousands, sometimes millions, of strangers, and they risk opening themselves to incredible cruelty and even sexual predators, say experts. Videos like Faye's "draw the attention of perverts, of guys looking for something to watch," said her mom. A psychologist warns: "They have no safe place now. As long as they're electronically connected, they become vulnerable." As for Faye, her video apparently isn't helping. "I feel like I could just go away and never come back," she says. "I feel like I've been standing all these years and keep getting torn down." Less »