Audrie & Daisy

The internet is populated an endless amount of dangers that sadly not enough teenagers today know about, and the effects of falling into these traps can be devastating. You look at social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr; and see teenagers online sharing sweet moments in ways of communicating with one another. Unfortunately, social media has also been used as a weapon to attack or humiliate one another, and suicide or suicide attempts are not uncommon results; especially if you can recount the Megan Meier incident back in 2006 or the story of Tyler Clementi in 2010. This documentary directed by Bonni Cohen and John Shenk paints an honest picture on the effects of date rape and the resulting online bullying associating with a story of two teenager who fell victim to these humiliating acts. One story recounts of 15-year old Audrie Pott, a girl from Saratoga, California who was sexually assaulted while drunk at a party and subject to pictures posted online, a heinous act that resulted in her committing suicide. Then there's a second story covering 14-year old Daisy Colemon, a girl from Maryville, Missouri who along with her friend Paige was date raped and subsequently became a target of online harassment, along with her parents. These stories are both told through interviews of the victims and their families, police investigations, social media, and following court cases.

It is generally hard to reach the end of this documentary and not fill your head with thoughts of how innocent little girls can fall victim to such horrible acts by their peers, and concerns of how vulnerable your kids could be (if you're a parent) to becoming a target of humiliating activity like this; and listening to these stories about these girls is quite gut-wrenching. And the saddest part is these kinds of stories are not rare, they happen more than everyone knows. The problem this documentary covers is not just the vulnerability of rape by sex-thirsty young men who use alcohol as a key to take advantage of helpless adolescent girls, but also how teenagers nowadays are not educated enough on the dangers that lie in the social realm and the perils of online social media. Then the more absurd aspects involve how the parents become victims of online scrutiny by the public who were intent on shaming the victims rather than sympathizing with them. And by all means, it is sad to watch. But overall, there is an astounding triumph that the victims and their families end up reaching when the girls learn they must speak out publicly and help stand up for other who have been affected. Though these stories are often told a bit unevenly as the majority of the film seems to go further in depth on the Daisy Colemon story, its still remains interesting to where you may shed some tears in some parts, then by the end cheer for the justice they reach.

Audrie & Daisy is an honest, unbiased documentary that is very gut-wrenching, but at the same time very important for not only parents, but also for teenagers to watch. It is a documentary that I believe is powerful enough to educate teenagers on the dangers that lie in the world of socializing and remind them of the morally gray figures that lie within their community. One of the most important lessons teenagers can learn is that they can get hurt if they do not make smart choices.