In the past few weeks, a video has surfaced on the internet that has caused outrage across cyberspace and the country.

Details vary from source to source, but the main story is always the same: eight Florida teenagers participated in videotaping the beating of 16-year old Victoria Lindsay. Six girls actively took part in the beating, while two boys waited outside, preventing anyone from coming to help.

Those investigating say that the angry attack was the result of comments left on MySpace. The teens lead Lindsay to the house of one of the girls, where they verbally abused and physically beat her. Afterwards, they dropped her off at a different location and threatened to beat her again if she told the police.

These teens planned to post the video on MySpace and YouTube, with the purpose of humiliating Lindsay while making the biggest “shock video” on the web.

“I think it’s disgusting…I couldn’t believe that girls would do such a thing to get on YouTube,” senior Jessica Bathurst said.

The worst part is that this movie lasted for about 15 minutes. Only a few minutes were released by the police. The worst of it will probably never be seen.

This action is nothing more than a disgusting, cruel and bitter cry for attention. The teens involved, both the girls and the guys outside, should be punished to the fullest allowable extent of the law. If these teens are convicted as adults, they could spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

“The guys deserve punishment, but not as much, because they didn’t do the actual beating,” junior Stacey Buchnat said.

This video should also extend as a warning to other teens who are even considering taking the same action, whether it’s simply to get attention or to become internet celebrities or to legitimately take action against a peer.

Everyone involved in this case has spoken non-stop about the eight teens. But what about Lindsay? She now has to live with the fact that there is a video of her getting pounded. She has to live with the fact that this video has circled all over the internet and on news channels all over the country. She has to live with the fact that these girls hated her so much that they were willing to go to jail just to hurt and humiliate her.

In the Stone Age – before YouTube – one had to release a hit song, write an incredible book, or beat a world record in order to get attention. Now it seems that all you have to do is initiate and record violence and post it on MySpace or YouTube.

In what’s perhaps and even worse move, we are giving them that attention.