Would you stop a random stranger in the supermarket and say to them, “Do you think I’m ugly? Come on, be honest. Just say it like it is.”
On the wildly popular Reddit forum “Am I Ugly,” this is exactly what is happening more than ever. Comments, posts and votes were up a whopping 1,986% in July compared to last year.
Posts on the “True Rate Me” forum — which ranks people from “ultra unattractive” to “ultra-attractive” (complete with visuals) — are up 1,140%. Over on the “Rate Me” forum, “First Impressions” post views are currently up by 65%.
Are you hot or not?
“Am I Ugly” hit back in 2010 (WSJ, paywall link), the same year Instagram launched and about a year before the debut of Snapchat. But to understand why people are drawn to “Am I Ugly,” come with me to the year 2000.
Before Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and even MySpace, there was HOTorNOT. People would upload pictures of themselves so strangers on the internet could rate their hotness on a scale of one to 10. Yup, we’re still asking the internet how hot we are.
Kid: “Mom, am I ugly?”
Mom: “I told you not to call me Mom in public.” So goes the old joke. Who’s hanging out over in the “Am I Ugly” forum? When I was writing this story, there were over 7,000 people uploading photos and leaving comments on photos.
There seem to be a lot of late teens, early 20s and 30-year-olds. Here are a few posts:
- 20F please be honest but nice. :)
- F(28) I genuinely cannot see past my rosacea and asymmetry.
- 30f am I ugly (I’m pretty positive) and if so, what can I do to improve?
- 31M became sober from alcohol and lost weight, but I haven’t really shedded my former image of myself.
- 38M – Feel invisible to my wife and the world. Is it because I’m ugly?
- 49-year-old divorced ex-con, would you date me?
Because it’s the internet, replies range from super-sweet to downright cruel. Some people even report receiving unwanted direct messages. (It’s against the rules of the subreddit, btw.)
My take
With how much time we spend online these days, it’s no shocker that places like “Am I Ugly” on Reddit are buzzing. I’ve seen firsthand how tech changes the way we see ourselves. It’s like we’re in this constant loop of seeking validation with every tap and swipe. Maybe something to talk to the people in your life about. It’s not good for our mental health.
Now, in 2023, AI is entering the attractiveness rating game. Hot Chat 3000 rates people’s attractiveness on a scale of one to 10 — and then pairs them with an “aesthetic equal.” In a world driven by data, let’s not forget the heart behind the pixels.