Students are ranking each other on their appearance on the Internet in what some are calling a troubling new trend that’s been popping up in cities and towns across the country, including Massachusetts.
Parents all over the area are outraged over middle school students going on Facebook groups that let them load pictures and then rank each other.
“I asked my daughter, ‘Why are they doing that?’ And she said there were websites where they were comparing each other,” said Elizabeth Crawford, a concerned mother.
It’s called “Facebook's Finest.” One of those sites ranks and compares teens in Beverly.
“It’s bullying, yes, because you wouldn’t walk up to someone and say, ‘I think you look weird.’ But you can say it through the computer because you don’t have to say it face to face,” said Katie Crawford, a 12-year-old.
But bullying is just one concern.
“Some of the pictures we found were provocative, but it is wide spread. We found Boston and Peabody and multiple cities that have all these listings,” said Elizabeth Crawford.
And teenagers say most kids have gone on these sites at least once.
“I think a lot of feelings are being hurt — all the less social kids at school,” said Vinchensio Sisneros, a 14-year-old.
This comes days after one local site, RateBU.com exploded, and more than two million votes have been cast ranking girls from Boston University who have their pictures uploaded — some without their knowledge.
As with most trends, all of the kids that 7NEWS spoke with were familiar with the listings, even if they didn’t approve, while all the parents were in the dark.
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