DailyMail (UK) reported in May 09 2008 and again in Jun. 11 2008 that yet again, some teenager had committed suicide while belonging to the sub emo-culture.
These are just two examples out of plenty which have been given media attention over the past few years.
Both articles mention that being 'emo' was a big part of each teenagers life. The girl started cutting herself in early puperty, and told her parents that it was an initiation into the Emo fashion.
The boy however, was a well-functioning young man with a quiet schoollife and his parents had no idea of this obsession with the emo genre.
Why each of them decided to end their life can be found in the original articles, I think they're quite self-explationary but also a big warning that something is sincerely wrong when teenagers find that music encourages them to commit suicide to get to a better world.
Boy, 13, hanged himself (DailyMail.co.uk Jun. 11 2008)
Girl, 13 hangs herself (DailyMail.co.uk May 09 2008)
Hello! After reading the article about a boy Sam, his commitment of suicide and his preference of emo music and style of life as a possible cause for his death, one question is inevitably raised. If all these bullies about his style and prefered music were assumed as a cause of suicide, what factors prompted a boy to turn to emo style???
ReplyDeleteMay be some social, individual and family factors also play a role in what happened.
Hey Assem! Thank you very much in showing interest in my blog :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you here, if it hadn't been for the outside factor (the bullying kids) he would probably not have been killing himself.
While his death was only indirectly caused by his alternative lifestyle (being emo), I think the example is good for showing us that there's more than one side to every story.
Iam however inclined to say, that alot of kids get bullied during their childhood without committing suicide. So the question is, if he had been bullied for being fat or ugly, do you think he would have killed himself? If not, could it possibly be that emo music had given him the impression that life would be better dead?
Very interesting blog!
ReplyDeleteHowever it is more or less impossible that the music itself could make someone commit suicide. It is important to take into consideration that, clearly these people who took their own lives are not the only ones who listen to that type of music, the rest of the emo fan base are not taking their lives.
It is important to stress the fact that the entire emo scene is ridiculous, and that it has become more about the image itself than about the music. Another important thing is lyrical interpretation, a song an adolescent believe is about suicide can be believe to be about for instance a bus ride by a forty year old.
To Auramin.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right that emo music(and not only) influences the way how people think, give the impression of existence of better life after death. But an answer to the question is very difficult to find, because dif. types of music (the lyrics) suggest some bizzare ideas about life and death to millions of people who don't take their lives. May be it depends on the "area" where person is grown up and what kind of values he/she is taught by parents and others. But overall, the nature of human is a secret that could not be fully explored, and understand what exactly influence its decisions is very difficult and sometimes impossible to find out.
Hi Nicolai,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you have decided to focus your blog on such serious topic as EMO music, which has recently become a life philosophy for many young people. I quite have to disagree with Andreas who thinks that “"EMO" is exactly the same situation as the "Hippies" in the 1960's, the "rockers" in the 1970's, "the discos" in the 1980's, the "Punks" in the 1990's”. In my opinion, EMO is much more dangerous since so many children (yes, twelve and thirteen-year-old kids) are often involved.
Do you feel depressed? Attempting to commit a suicide? Such questions are simply freaking me out. EMO, in my eyes, is not a solution for such children. Depression is a serious disease which should not be underestimated; it has to be treated by a proper medication. Therefore parents should definitely watch out carefully what they children are being involved in. Because sometimes, as we can see from two examples of children who hanged themselves, it can be to late…
Hi Nicolai!
ReplyDeleteFirsty, congratulations on your great work and visibly deep research on this blog.
The first time I was confronted with EMO lifestyle was while I was spending my Foreing Exchange Student year on high-school in South Dakota, US.
One day I saw one of my friends walking with a toalet paper stuck on her wrist to the principal's office. When she walked by, I have realized I can see her blood leaking from a newly cut wound.
It surprissed me a lot, even though I knew she is a bit different than others. She had to be taken to the hospital and later was put on medication and then on home arrest with her mother staying at home to control all of her actions.
Fortunatelly, she cured pretty quickly and after her return to school I have asked her about her reasons for cutting herself.
The answer, which I do not remeber fully but can still reproduce the main point of it, sounded more or less like this: well, I had to do it, all my frinds do that. I feel I can help this horrible world full of hate to be better when I punish myself for actions of others by self-harm.
And where did she gain this idea? From emo music...
On the contrary, I also listen to EMO music and I do not feel like cutting my harming myself. In my opinion, and as I understood you share the same view, EMO or murder music can "help" the person to become an EMO or a killer only when he/she alsready has some tendencies towards this kind of behavior.
Nevertheless, I agree that some of those artists or songs should definitelly be banned!