What it Means to Be EMO

EMO stands for emotional and that's what kids who call themselves EMO, are. Adults who hear their teens calling themselves emo may not fully understand the ramifications of what it means to be 'emo'. Even though Emo kids' fashion looks like it's a cross between Gothic and Punk, they are different in certain ways.

Emo kids will tell you what they are feeling, they are mostly sensitive, shy, broken-hearted, glum, introverted, quiet and easily upset. They write about these feelings in dark, depressing and often times long-winded poems.

Emo kids are very likely to harm themselves or inflict self injuries. Most of the time they do what is referred to as 'Cutting'. They will often times burn themselves with cigarettes and hide the injuries from their parents but share what they have done with other emo kids that are doing the same thing.

Their fashion will sometimes include tight T-shirts which often have the names of rock bands on them, tight jeans with studded belts and belt buckles, black shoes, black wire rimmed glasses, long bangs which are brushed to one side of the face and/or dyed black hair. Emo kids don't care what people think but they want other people's sympathy, therefore they will tell their friends how upset they are and show their friends how they have been mutilating themselves. They crave attention and cry at the drop of the hat. They are often times sullen or in bad moods and try to make authority figures mad. They may dress in a way that gets them the attention they want and need and they may write poetry that has dark, suicidal undertones. Emo kids may hang out at coffee houses, music stores and artistic venues. Most emo kids see the world as being a beautiful place but having inhabitants (meaning other humans) that are lost, depressing and hateful.