Internet Homunculus

She regularly posted photographs of two girls side by side, with the caption “WHOS PRETTIERRR?!” Below the pictures, commenters would heckle and vote. One such contest drew 109 comments over three days. When it became clear which contestant was losing, that girl wrote that she didn’t care: “nt even tryinqq to b funny or smart.” The rival who beat her answered, “juss mad you losss ok ppl voted me ! If you really loooked better they wouldve said you but THEY DIDNT sooo sucks for you.”

Oh my god. Well, Emily Bazelon’s article on bullying for The Atlantic is also part of her new book, Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy (Amazon | Indiebound), which … ah, never mind.