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"It seems like a straight-forward question, five small words: \"Am I pretty or ugly?\" But the intent behind it is often complex, and the responses can have a lasting impact. Over the past few years, this question has inspired hundreds of thousands of tweens and teens to upload \"Pretty or Ugly\" videos to YouTube, asking viewers to \"tell them the truth\" about their physical appearance. And thanks to London-based artist Louise Orwin's recent show Pretty Ugly, the disturbing trend has once again been making headlines.\n\nThe videos vary from user to user, ranging from 30-second clips shot on a webcam to intricate slideshows of selfies set to music. They usually open with a brief monologue stating their purpose: \"I wanted to make this video because, like, a lot of people at school have been calling me ugly, but my friends tell me that I'm pretty, but I don't feel like I'm pretty\u2014so I just wanted to ask you guys.\" In many cases these videos are a response to things happening at school or with friends, bullying in the hallways or vicious \"hotness contests.\"\n\nInstead of turning to best friend confidants or private diaries to confess insecurities, telling all online has become the norm at middle and high schools across the country. At least someone sees your plea, and they just might respond\u2014whether or not their response is helpful is another matter. \"Posting my video was one of the best decisions of my life,\" one teen told Slate. Of course, that's not always the sentiment. \"I felt instantaneously more vulnerable after soliciting the opinion of my peers,\" confessed Teen Vogue reader Emily, 17. \"It's ironic, because I wanted to feel good about myself, but it just ended up heightening my insecurities.\"\n\nThe comments range from kind (\"One word\u2013beautiful\") and concerned (\"You don't need strangers to tell you whether you're pretty or not\"), to creepy (\"Ugly but you have big boobs\") and downright nasty (\"REALLY ugly, as if you didn't know!\"). Some girls are able to shrug off the haters, but mean musings tend to resonate most, their sting far outweighing any positive reinforcements. \"What teens fail to realize before posting these videos is that one negative comment on YouTube can hurt a lot more than they would think,\" warned 18-year-old Marcelle of Maple Valley, Washington. So why do so many continue to open the doors to criticism?\n\nSome speculate that these videos are new forms of self-mutilation, while others reduce them to a ploy for compliments, perhaps in an attempt to seek acceptance or, at the very least, some sort of validation. But underneath it all there is one underlying theme: an obsession with beauty. \"Society puts so much emphasis on physical beauty, it's no surprise that teens are obsessed with their looks in this way,\" said 18-year-old Rebecca.\n\nSo now we throw this to you. Ever uploaded a \"pretty or ugly\" video\u2014or left a response on one? Tell us about your experience in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/pretty-or-ugly>