Possibly Triggery: What Is Happening To Our Kids?

Kobi · 02-23-2012, 05:23 PM

TRIGGER: discussion of child abuse and violence against children

I am noticing a lot more stuff in the news about stuff happening to kids in the USA. It's troublesome. I dont know if stuff is happening more or if I am just paying more attention to it.

Just boggles my mind what kids today have to deal with.

So, I thought it might be helpful to keep track of it for a while. I found this today:
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‘Am I Ugly’ Videos Spark Disturbing YouTube Trend

It seems perfectly natural that we value others' opinions of us. People seek feedback. Post a picture, make a comment, "like" us. In this world where everything seems instantly shareable or share-worthy, it is hard to know what to keep to ourselves. A troubling new trend making its way around YouTube has many people begging the question: "Are we obsessed with others' opinions of us?" A search of the phrase "Am I Ugly" on YouTube yields dozens of videos of young girls asking the anonymous, and notoriously judgmental, YouTube community to judge how they look.

Many of the videos have thousands of comments, which range from the nice end of the spectrum with encouraging words, all the way to the extremely cruel with comments that need not be repeated. In one of the more polite comments, someone tells a girl that she is pretty and that she should just focus on doing her homework. Some people suggest that the girls are just fishing for compliments or wanting attention from anyone who is willing to give it.

Trending Now spoke to New York-based child psychiatrist Francisco Gonzalez-Franco, who told us that on a basic level, the videos are "a masochistic way to diminish their anxiety." Gonzalez-Franco adds that the girls feel incomplete, and they want people to confirm their fear that they are ugly. If people confirm it, even though they may be strangers, the girls may stop seeking that confirmation, he said. Gonzelez-Franco does insist that the girls should seek help from friends or family instead. He said the last place girls should be looking for validation is from YouTube commenters.

This is not the first open forum in which girls have asked strangers for feedback on themselves. Popular website Formspring welcomes anonymous replies to open questions that people ask. The topics usually end with similar results as the disturbing "Am I Ugly" trend. Unfortunately, people make cruel comments knowing they may never be identified. Some people believe this is taking cyberbullying to a new level, and could have tragic consequences.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending...171407972.html

02-23-2012, 05:23 PM	#1
Kobi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Biological female. Lesbian. Relationship Status: Happy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hanging out in the Atlantic. Posts: 9,234 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,840 Thanked 34,636 Times in 7,642 Posts Rep Power: 21474861	Possibly Triggery: What Is Happening To Our Kids? TRIGGER: discussion of child abuse and violence against children I am noticing a lot more stuff in the news about stuff happening to kids in the USA. It's troublesome. I dont know if stuff is happening more or if I am just paying more attention to it. Just boggles my mind what kids today have to deal with. So, I thought it might be helpful to keep track of it for a while. I found this today: ------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Am I Ugly’ Videos Spark Disturbing YouTube Trend It seems perfectly natural that we value others' opinions of us. People seek feedback. Post a picture, make a comment, "like" us. In this world where everything seems instantly shareable or share-worthy, it is hard to know what to keep to ourselves. A troubling new trend making its way around YouTube has many people begging the question: "Are we obsessed with others' opinions of us?" A search of the phrase "Am I Ugly" on YouTube yields dozens of videos of young girls asking the anonymous, and notoriously judgmental, YouTube community to judge how they look. Many of the videos have thousands of comments, which range from the nice end of the spectrum with encouraging words, all the way to the extremely cruel with comments that need not be repeated. In one of the more polite comments, someone tells a girl that she is pretty and that she should just focus on doing her homework. Some people suggest that the girls are just fishing for compliments or wanting attention from anyone who is willing to give it. Trending Now spoke to New York-based child psychiatrist Francisco Gonzalez-Franco, who told us that on a basic level, the videos are "a masochistic way to diminish their anxiety." Gonzalez-Franco adds that the girls feel incomplete, and they want people to confirm their fear that they are ugly. If people confirm it, even though they may be strangers, the girls may stop seeking that confirmation, he said. Gonzelez-Franco does insist that the girls should seek help from friends or family instead. He said the last place girls should be looking for validation is from YouTube commenters. This is not the first open forum in which girls have asked strangers for feedback on themselves. Popular website Formspring welcomes anonymous replies to open questions that people ask. The topics usually end with similar results as the disturbing "Am I Ugly" trend. Unfortunately, people make cruel comments knowing they may never be identified. Some people believe this is taking cyberbullying to a new level, and could have tragic consequences. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending...171407972.html __________________ Last edited by Medusa; 02-23-2012 at 08:25 PM.