What do you do when you try SO hard to help someone and you just can't??

For days I've been trying to help a girl. She's younger than I am. She's in her teens and I don't know how to help her. I've wondered a couple times why am I trying to help her. I only know her online, and I've only known her a short time. Is it because I have this urge to want to help?? Is it because I can't stand to see the bad guy in real life situations or movies win?? Or is it because in some ways I see my younger self in this girl??

She reminds me of myself at that age in some ways. Low self esteem, wanting to be loved, parents who were hard to get along with..things I experienced at her age. My self esteem was low and before I was 17, few things raised it. I've already talked about my parents. I wanted a boyfriend, and had crushes on various guys of different personalities. Most of them saw me as friends and nothing more. It wasn't until I met my husband that I really knew and felt what love is.

I've tried talking to her, trying to get her to open her eyes and look at the big picture but it doesn't work. I've tried to help her with her self esteem, again doesn't work. What can I do??

Everyday we meet people online, some become friends that we stay in contact with, others we talk to a few times and soon just fade out, others we just want to tell off because they ARE some weirdos out there with nothing better to do with their time. You meet people, from all over, and all you know about their lives really are what they tell you. You don't know most of them in person, and you probably never will but when they tell you their problems or that they are unhappy you want to help them and give advice hoping they will use it and be happier. Sometimes you say the right things, it helps them, their lives have improved and you can smile, knowing you've done a good thing and helped someone who really needed it. But other times, no matter what you say, it doesn't seem to do any good, and you feel like you've let the person down.

What can you do when someone is needing help and you just don't know what to do for them?? It's harder when the person you are trying to help is an online friend and you can't reach thru the monitor and hug them, tell them in person that you are there for them. Some people just won't listen when you try to help them, or your suggestions aren't the right ones. When do you come to the point where you admit that you just can't help them the way they need?? And how do you get them that help??