Leave that Amber Cole Video Alone; It’s the Right Thing to do

Update: Amber Cole Video Leads to Two Boys' Arrest, False Rumors of Suicide: Report

For about two days now I've seen the keyword 'Amber Cole Video' trending on Alexa.com as a hot topic. Of course, when I clicked the keyword, few links popped up. One was about rapper Wiz Khalifa spending about $50,000 on his girlfriend Amber Rose and the other about how signer Keisha Cole stole Amber Rose's swagger or something like that (I didn't really care.) I wasn't interested in writing about Amber Rose or Keisha Cole, so that was enough to move on to another trending keyword I actually cared about.

But on Tuesday morning, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites were buzzing with the keyword 'Leave Amber Cole Alone' trending worldwide. Not sure who she was and why she needed to be left alone, I did a quick news search of the keyword. From the stories I have read I have learned that Amber Cole is actually a real person, 14 years old, who was allegedly videotaped in a private sexual act that has found its way onto the Internet.

Now that was enough for me to leave Amber Cole alone, and I sure hope you did, too.

The fact that there is a 'Leave Amber Cole Alone' video going viral on YouTube, presumably created by another teenage girl who appears to know Amber Cole, is particularly concerning. Concerning because it seems that Amber Cole is under a lot of scrutiny and possibly being bullied. On Tuesday the video had more than 257,000 views on YouTube. The young girl is begging, at time with tears and anger, for her peer to be left alone.

I think anyone out there, adult or teenage, who is sharing this video should heed her warning and simply 'Leave Amber Cole Alone.'

Bullying can truly scar people and their families for life.

Back in September, the world learned about Jamey Rodemeyer, a gay teen victim of bullying, who committed suicide just days before the first U.S. Education Department national summit against bullying. The 14-year-old boy was found dead months after he posted an anti-bullying video on YouTube. The video titled It Gets Better, I promise! encouraged those who were being bullied to be strong, according to news reports. Rodemeyer suffered being bullied by his classmates for a long time in person and on the Internet.

Now he is dead and a family has a loss that will never be healed.

Already people are tweeting concerns that this bullying could cause Amber Cole do likewise.

Another reason to Leave Amber Cole alone is that you cannot hide your footprint on the Internet and you don't want to be caught sharing child porn. Even if you are not the one who recorded the video and posted it on the Internet, watching that video or passing it on could land you in serious trouble with the law if you are caught.

Outside of the virtual, don't forget there are consequences for your actions in the real world if you click that 'share' button. So take a second before you watch or pass that link on.

It also very disturbing that this teenage girl is possibly being bullied on the Internet. Twitter was created as a platform for friends to share interests and information with each other, not for breaking the law and destroying people's lives.

Put yourselves in Amber Cole's situation. How would you feel if compromising photos or videos of you were being circulated around the Web without your consent?

Yes, Amber Cole is too young to be engaging in sexual behavior, but unfortunately such things are happening among our teenagers. But it doesn't make it right to be a part of the noise.

Do yourself and Amber Cole a favor, do not watch or pass that video on to anyone. If someone sends it to you, report it.

Just Leave Amber Cole Alone. It's the right thing to do.

Here is the 'Leave Amber Cole Alone' Video. It does contain some graphic language.