'Am I Ugly?' Young Girls Ask Strangers On Internet To Judge Them

BEVERLY HILLS (CBSLA.com) — A growing trend online has some young girls asking strangers to tell them if they are ugly or pretty.

Thousands of videos online feature young girls asking strangers to comment on their appearance.

"People say I'm ugly," one girl says in a video posted online. "So tell me, am I?"

Dr. Fran Walfish said for many the troubling behavior begins at home.

"Children are not looking to their parents for validation, and that is very worrisome," Dr. Walfish said.

With easy access to social media, young people are flooded with images of beauty and face pressure to compete.

Thirteen-year-old Brianna Pratt of Australia said she has never made such a video but understands why some do.

"Some girls will be pretty and have clear skin, and others will have pimples and feel like they need to ask people if they're pretty and stuff," she said.

Walfish said the key is for parents to set rules and promote good communication between parent and child. She also advises keeping an open-door policy when using the computer at home.

"In order to be a good parent, you have to say no sometimes," Walfish said.

Brianna Pratt's mother, Tina, said she knows her daughter's Facebook password, but acknowledges that it is hard to keep track of all online activity.

"It is difficult to actually monitor, especially when it's so accessible even at school and on phones," Pratt said.

So far, the approach seems to be working for Brianna.

"I just like to be myself and be happy with who I am," she said.