i think emo's are the culmination of soft, spoiled teenagers and preteens. trust me, i thought it was cool to be emo. i whined and said things like, 'you just dont understand me!' and, 'why is the world so painful?' i graduated highschool and realized, aw heck the world is just doing it's thing. its not out to get me. im me now. oh sure i sometimes wear my chucks and maybe a pair of tight jeans now and then but honestly most 'emo' kids are trying to get attention. its a strangely parallel universe to divas. think about it, the girls are almost all wearing the same type of clothing and they speak the same way. i dont hate emos. i hate what emos think they want to be. its a wrong image for kids. im not saying this from even a semi-adult point of view. i havent been to college yet. if you truly think its comfortable to wear a scarf, chucks, tights and black makeup all over then great, go ahead. my one gripe: DON'T BE SHALLOW. emo "culture" isnt all that's out there. when i was at my grad party a friend made me upset and as i went somewhere to be alone i heard the dj playing techno. i thought: how odd that i should be separated from my 'friends' at this moment. i liked the techno. now i have decided that if it makes me happy i'll run with it. screw fitting in, im going to be me. NOBODY is permanently depressed as a culture. it isnt a nifty look. people hurt themselves like that. write a happy poem. make a magnetic gauss cannon. do SOMETHING outside of your sphere. people will admire that more than if you are good at imitating. i have more friends now and im HAPPIER. do something different. do something that will shock your friends once in a while. talkl to somebody different. here's a shocker: wear a pair of baggy camo pants and a plain white t-shirt. dont wear your chucks today and leave your makeup alone. dont fix your hair just let it hang. the only thing you can put on your face is a smile. say hi to everybody you walk past while listening to tolerably different music. after that you can wear your normal outfits. still smile. still say hi. CHANGE. it feels good, really. try it without thinking about what THEY think. why do they matter anyway? are they still going to be around when you're old and wrinkly? will you look back and say: "boy i like those people and i think they made a positive influence on my life"? you are judged by the people you associate with. be strong, not noodly. these are tidbits i have picked up along the way. they helped me CHOOSE MY persona. like making up a character in a game. you can choose what you will be. anyways employers like "normal" people better. they dont like labels attached to their employees. try this and see what you think.