Kids beat up girl just for the YouTube value

Wed Apr 9, 2008 5:10PM EDT

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Eight Florida teenagers are in custody for beating up a defenseless girl. Not news, no, but the reason behind it is: The kids who did the deed planned to put the video on YouTube in the hopes of becoming Internet celebrities once the video was widely seen online.

Six girls did the beating (which ended with a concussion) while two boys stood lookout. In a statement after the eight were all rounded up and arrested, one of the girls' mothers said that the victim of the attacks had "provoked" it by "threatening and insulting the girls on their MySpace pages."

The video did indeed make it to YouTube but it's since been removed. You can see snippets of it here or find it by searching YouTube, but it's largely what you're expecting.

Reaction has been pretty swift, with many naturally turning their ire not just on the teens but also on YouTube and MySpace for not policing content better. Does censorship work? Is it even possible for YouTube to vet every video that's uploaded to its site? YouTube serves some 100 million videos every day. What kind of manpower would it take to monitor all of it? And how would one distinguish between a real fight and a staged melee that's part of a (fictional) short film. (Heck, even Lonelygirl15, the YouTube darling, died in her eponymous show's last episode.) Censoring one type of content (which YouTube actually does plenty of, actually) is a slippery slope.

And really, what would be the point? If not YouTube, would the teens have posted pictures or video clips on their blogs? Or simply used another hosting service? Kids have been beating each other up for centuries, since well before YouTube came along, and they'll be doing it after it's gone, too.

Your thoughts, of course, are welcome.

POLL: Is YouTube responsible? 

Comments on Kids beat up girl just for the YouTube value

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  • 1 Posted by alexgannis on Wed Apr 9, 2008 5:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm Glad they are all in jail I hope they get what coming to them, they all need to get their asses kick in, what come around goes around.

  • 2 Posted by polyester06 on Wed Apr 9, 2008 5:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    The mom that said this attack was provoked is an idiot. She should get thrown in jail with the rest of them for thinking that way. You have to be friends with someone on myspace for them to be able to post on your wall... so apparently none of these people have heard of the "delete" option? Dumb wannabe popular high school girls, get a life, I hope this looks great on their resumes.

  • 3 Posted by nolo_8 on Wed Apr 9, 2008 5:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I wonder who ratted them out?

  • 4 Posted by clm_melonie on Wed Apr 9, 2008 6:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    I absolutely cannot believe this mother's attitude - this victim had it coming?!? what ever happened to "sticks and stones"??? - OMG - my children are well aware that if they do something illegal, violent or just plain mean they better pray they end up in jail, because when I get hold of them.....It makes me feel terribly old but all I can think is "what is this country coming to??"

  • 5 Posted by dgauquier on Wed Apr 9, 2008 6:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    This action doesn't represent the whole State of Florida. Actually most Floridian are happy to see that our enforcement has taken the proper actions against this violent crime, because that is what this is, a Crime. The real question is, what to do to avoid this kind of behavior to happen that often? I believe that if most parents were watching their kids more, and the TV less, we might have a chance, and that is in every States, not only in Florida. Kids are following our leads, if we, adults loose sense of values, and ethics, how can we expect our children to react positively? Leadership by example, this is what we need in USA... And that is not only for the familly matters...

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