Am I Ugly?

This is the title of a new trend in the social world. Pre-teen girls have taken to uploading videos of themselves with the purpose of getting one question answered: Am I ugly? Most of the hype is taking place on YouTube, the social scene that’s probably most notorious for bullying. These girls are seeing the good, the bad, and everything in between with comments ranging from “You are a beautiful girl. Do not let anyone tell you different.” to “Yes, you are. Now go kill yourself.”

Video from the "Am I Ugly" trend on YouTube.

It’s not fair to say these societal pressures didn’t exist twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, girls were still looking at fashion magazines and feeling a sense of inadequacy. But the question “Am I ugly?” was directed internally. In figuring out who they are and defining themselves, pre-teens often look to their peers for approval. So it makes sense that with the development of social networks, young girls would turn to their social networks for approval. And they listen to anyone who answers them.

I won’t say the old cliché “beauty comes from within.” Psychical beauty is a highly subjective idea. But I will say that I believe the beauty that matters more is internal beauty. And asking a sea of strangers whether you’re beautiful will subject you to a needless strain of criticism from people you don’t know—and consequently, a low self-esteem.  

This trend is unnerving, but I see no quick solution. Should YouTube remove the videos? Should YouTube hold its users accountable for cyber bullying?

Society isn’t kind to pre-teen girls. I think it’s up to the older sisters, the mothers and fathers, and the true friends of the world to help these young girls see their potential. Do you see another solution?

What Makes You Different?

Is insecurity human nature? Sometimes it seems like it. As human beings, we often wonder what it is about us that sets us apart from the next person. And when we can’t come up with an answer, it sends us into a spiral of self-doubt (or worse) self-loathing.

“Nothing interesting ever happens to me.”

“I don’t have any special talents.”

“I don’t know what I have to offer.”

Sound familiar? If it does, take a minute to put aside your humble filter. Be incredibly honest with yourself. No two humans are alike, which means you are different from any other person. It’s important to recognize what sets you apart, especially if you’re trying to brand yourself in a certain way (as I am in applying for jobs).

You don’t necessarily have to think of things you do. Think of things you’ve done. Have you gone somewhere that changed you? Been through an experience that shaped who you are today? These are talking points--things you need to take pride in. So what if today I feel like the most remarkable thing about me is my ability to dislocate my shoulder? It’s something that makes me different, and I cherish it.

So come up with a list of things that set you apart. Surprise yourself.  

I Started a Vlog.

The internet is a strange, strange place filled with (more often than not) strange, strange people. Sometimes it takes an eighty-seven-year-old grandmother to make you realize just how curious the world wide web is. While I was home over break, my feisty grandmother demanded that I look her up on this website called “Pipl.” What? My grandma had heard of a website I hadn’t? I summoned what was left of my pride and did as she asked. She gasped in horror as she read how much of her personal information was on the internet for anyone to see. Pipl had a list of her relations, an address and a photo of her home, and her home phone number listed.

Sometimes I forget how difficult it must be for the Silent Generation to deal with living in a technology-driven world. My grandma starting using email within the past few years, and she still never gets on the internet. She just sees no need. And I don’t blame her. She’s probably the only person I know who doesn’t want any personal information on the internet.

In fact, most people now opt to have personal information on the internet. They leave bits and pieces of themselves everywhere. Hairs on Facebook, germs on Twitter, skin cells on Pinterest, lingering smells on YouTube, and whatever’s left on blogs. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. Quite the opposite. I love the internet because it gives you the opportunity to express yourself in so many different ways.

I, like many others, have an account on just about every popular social site on the internet. It wasn’t until the New Year that I decided to tackle something I’d never done on the internet before. I started a vlog. If the word makes you cringe, trust me, I’ve been there. Who wants to sit in front of a webcam/camera and yammer on about themselves and their terribly mundane life? Apparently I do. Well, not really. I like the idea of having a vlog because if you’re successful you can start a dialogue with the people who subscribe to you. Yeah, you might feel like a loser for the first few weeks (Months? Years?) you don’t have any subscribers, but you can always do what I did and force a friend to subscribe to your channel.

What I hope to get out of a vlog is what I haven’t gotten out of a blog. I hope to show imperfections, to connect with people over trivial matters, and to engage an audience. I’ll admit it’s fun editing video and audio too.

I encourage you, whether you’re eighty-seven or seventeen, to venture out into the peculiar world of the internet. Do something you haven’t done before. Surprise yourself. Express yourself. The internet is probably one of the best, least embarrassing places to do it. What do you have to lose?

p.s. If you're interested in checking out my vlog, it's youtube.com/straycatinmyhat.