Girls Take to YouTube to Ask, Am I Pretty or Ugly?

It’s no surprise that being a teenage girl is fraught with insecurities.

Am I good enough? Funny enough? Cool enough? Pretty enough?

These are questions girls might ask themselves all the time but it turns out that these days a girl can use technology to get the answer.

In a disturbing new trend, young girls are uploading videos of themselves to YouTube asking, “Am I Pretty or Ugly?”

One of these videos by a young girl has gotten over 4 million views and over 100,000 comments. In the video the girl says, “I just wanted to make a random video seeing if I was ugly or not because a lot of people call me ugly and I think I’m ugly and fat but all of my friends that are girls they’re like ‘oh you’re so beautiful …’ and I’m like shut up because I’m not beautiful.”

Check out the video yourself.

The emphasis girls place on their appearance and being “pretty” is so consuming. How are girls expected to learn and grow if they are constantly striving to look “perfect” or judging what other girls look like? This video is proof that girls spend so much time and energy on their appearance. Imagine what else girls (and women) could accomplish if they didn’t worry so much about their looks or other people’s approval. The possibilities would be endless.

Still, a teen’s desire for approval is nothing new. Teens often look to be accepted by their peers and have other people like them. Posting a video online asking people to comment on their attractiveness, however, opens these girls up to the scrutiny of thousands of people. The constant criticism and negative comments can have a very damaging impact on a young girl’s self-esteem.

We’ve read so many tragic stories of girls committing suicide after facing bullying at school. What could hundreds and hundreds of negative comments about their appearance do to a girl?

What do you think about these videos? Are you alarmed by this trend?

Related from Care2:

10-Year-Old Girl Commits Suicide After Intense Bullying

11-Year-Old Bullying victim Commits Suicide

Girl Assaulted with Urine Filled Balloon to Join Girl Group

Photo Credit: Video Screen Shot

quick poll

vote now!

Loading poll...

no!
leaning no
leaning yes
yes!

no!
leaning no
leaning yes
yes!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Virginia R.

5:43AM PDT on Mar 31, 2012

If all you ever think about and love is yourself, you are doomed for a life of unhappiness. Find something outside yourself to love and care about - how about animals, plants, people,art, music, dancing, or a sport. Look around the world, how many people are beautiful?? One out of every 1000. Most of us are average and thank God for it. Average looking people run the world. The only place I see beautiful people is on TV or the movies. I remind myself of how much money they spend to stay that way. Real life is about loving living things and the God who created it. Quit looking in the mirror and learn all the names of the birds in your backyard. Plant some flowers or vegetables in the backyard. Read a book. Take your camera and take pictures of the world that is interesting to you. Self absorbed people get boring real quick. Hopefully many of these teenagers will outgrow this and learn life is not all about you. Virginia R.

send a green star

colleen p.

1:36PM PDT on Mar 30, 2012

well, if the girl is seen tossing kittens into a hot tub, then she is as pretty as a putrid, exploded old elephant carcass

Sarah M.

7:31PM PDT on Mar 25, 2012

so sad

JACarlton A.

4:23AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

These kids need to be taught that the only person whose opinion matters is the one staring back at them from the mirror. That's the only person who's going to be with them 24/7 - 365 from the moment they're born till they day they die! And that person is the only one they need to impress!

I blame the parents for not instilling that kind of mindset into their children.

Neil A.

4:14AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

Does anybody know how I can stop CARE2 from trying nto post my comments on Facebook I find this very annoying & intrusive how dare they do that??.

4:11AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

I also suggest people do not put their picture, your friends know what you look like, I do not think I need it on Skype either.

4:03AM PDT on Mar 12, 2012

She should be more concerned to be an interesting person as beauty is superficial,
I would advise young & older people to avoid facebook it is rather a waste of your valuable time, to me much of it is pathetic & of little value, Please tell me how people can claim to have 100 or thousands of friends, totally ridiculous, I think I only allowed 6 people but many more asked me for what reason I do not really know & many on Care2 so please do not be offended if I do not accept

Lika S.

11:57PM PDT on Mar 11, 2012

Here, please sign the April's Law petition, to put stiffer punishments onto child sex predators on and offline, and to shut down their legal pedophile websites.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/worldwide-petition-for-aprils-law-in-the-us/

11:54PM PDT on Mar 11, 2012

She looks like she's what, about 13? I think You Tube should ensure that no one under 16 gets to have an account. No picture ID, no you tube page. And enforce it. If someone has to wait until the next business day, then so be it. Do you know how many pedophiles who are infatuated with the beginning budding of puberty, where she is at... And with her low self confidence, she is a perfect target to be preyed upon by these filthy, stinking beasts.

I think she's a cutie, and why aren't her parents teaching her better? Or are they trying to be her friends instead? I'm wondering why she's so worried about being pretty, when she could be out hanging out with friends doing fun activities like skating, soft ball or anything else.

Nancy L.

1:57PM PST on Mar 4, 2012

I'm sure people are being very cruel on YT to those girls. That'll teach them to ask for opinions!