Last week in Polk County, Fla., eight teenagers were charged as adults for the brutal beating given to a 16-year-old classmate. The beating was recorded by a witness hoping to show the clip on Web sites such as MySpace and YouTube so the six girls who attacked their classmate could gain popularity and notoriety.

The video has shown up on the Internet, but not in the ways the six girls and two boys behind the attack expected.

The incriminating video has lead those behind the attack to gain national attention for their actions and criminal charges ranging from kidnapping to battery.

According to the attackers, the beating was an act of revenge against the victim, who was posting insulting items about them on sites such as MySpace.

While it’s regrettable the victim would use the Web site to post questionable items about her classmates, the retaliation, as well as the quest for popularity through the Internet, are even more disturbing.

Gossip and backstabbing are not new problems for teenagers, and conflicts will arise. Unfortunately, physical bullying is nothing uncommon for teenagers past and present either.

A case such as this shows an even uglier side of bullying than the physical or verbal act itself for revenge; it shows the idea that such acts are done in order to gain notoriety amongst a school community.

To make matters even worse, the Internet is being used as a way to gain attention for brutal attacks like these.

First of all, it would be interesting to find out if the teenagers who are behind the beating thought that they could get away with their plans to post this violent video on the Internet for anyone to see.

If any YouTube browser or MySpace friend can see videos you post, what is going to stop someone watching it to turn you in to authorities?

The Internet was the medium where the girls found out about the mean messages the victim was posting about them. If it was that easy for these messages to get into the “wrong” hands, how easy would it be for this video to also get into the “wrong” hands (such as the police)?

Even if these girls hadn’t beaten the victim to the point where she had to go to the hospital and press charges, someone may have turned them in.

These girls planned the attack and video well ahead of time, and it was used as a medium to gain attention.

This misguided and disturbing attempt at revenge and fame has turned into life-altering criminal charges for those involved. Was it worth it?

While the actions of the girls are deplorable, the video presents another issue: For the past week and a half, clips of the violent video were shown all across the nation’s television stations and Web sites.

Is it right that these girls are gaining fame (although they don’t seem to be popular with the anti-bullying majority of the nation) for their actions, and that the victim is known nationwide for being a victim?

I am bothered when I see images of the beating on TV, and I wonder if it is right to keep propagating the clip on countless media outlets.

While human curiosity is natural, it should not be at the expense of a victim such as this girl, nor should it give more attention, positive or negative, to those who are behind the attacks.

It appears though, that this story is too good for some people to pass up. Producers of Dr. Phil’s talk show posted the $30,000 bond for one of the attackers, because, according to Florida’s WFTV, “the Dr. Phil Show had exclusive rights to the story.”

Yes, Dr. Phil’s show freed a charged criminal in order to create television. Of course, once this fact was released, the show quickly cancelled their plans to produce the episode, but the mere fact this happened leads one to the question: How far is too far?

What is our definition of entertainment, and to what lengths are people willing to go in order to find something “fascinating”?

Maybe some good will arise from this situation.

Maybe this case will show potential bullies the consequences of horrific actions such as these (and how easy it is to get caught, especially with video evidence) and similar events can be prevented.

Or, maybe society will just wait for another similar video to replay again and again, and give the bullies exactly what they want: attention.

Dr. Phil still needs a show, and an Internet star/teenage violence hybrid special would bring in the big ratings during sweeps.

Step on it, teenagers!