Why does society look down upon "emos"/people who are depressed?

[Mr Cat Dog]

I tend to disagree with that; maybe we've just met different emos? The people I've talked to that consider themselves emo - each one labels themselves with a mental illness of some kind. They're on Facebook outright said "I'm depressed" or something of the sort, although sometimes it may be an entirely different disease. There are even people I know who, despite all that people who are bisexual or gay suffer at the hands of other people because of their sexuality, still say they're "bi", while obviously not feeling that way. I've even seen this of people I love, where they claim to be a certain thing to get sympathy, bisexual or depressed or something of the sort.

inb4 how do you know they're pretending to be bisexual...when the person says that anyone older than 30 isn't allowed to be bisexual or gay because "it's just gross", you can pretty much tell that they don't believe they actually are bi/gay and they're not just saying they are because they're young and it's cool for young people to do that.

We obviously roll with different emo crowds, then! To be fair, though, the crisis-in-sexuality people you mention I HAVE come into contact with, and agree with you 100%

 

[Melody]

Depression isn't something that someone chooses to be in, it's an illness. I don't like how people judge and make fun of them because of it. They're just making it worse for the kid who is depressed. I don't see why they have to make it worse, they're just normal people like you and I. I don't normally involve myself with other peoples matters, but today I saw some underclassman get picked on by 5 other kids, and that really irritated me, and one of the kids even said "Go slit your wrists and die." and that was basically the last straw for me so I told them off (Not in the nice formal matter I would have liked but you get the point). To be completely honest, I'm what you call "emo". Altho, I don't act depressed, I like to cover everything up. My point is, why must people judge others so harshly? What are your views on people who are depressed/"emo"?

First and foremost let me correct one thing: Emo does not equal depressed. Emo doesn't ACT depressed, they're quite the opposite! Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Emos are a group of people who try to find the answer to their own problems before it comes to a head and leads to something potentially serious. They do this by expressing themselves and generally wear their hearts on their sleeves by doing so, and this brings in the healer types by the droves. It's not a 'cry' for attention, it's a genuine need, because they're all human too, and yet people insist on treating them like their not because they're different in some way.


Emo is like being pessimist and proud of it. Emo doesn't put faith in others, they're a bit selfish yes, but that's only because the world hasn't yet proven to them it's good side. They dress darkly, and oddly because the world treats them all like misfits anyway, and birds of a feather stick together. Admittedly, a percentage of Emos DO have problem(s), but it's not always depression. In fact, I've heard statistics claiming that up to 90% of people are depressed anyway, and I've not seen anything in my experience to refute that number...because let's face it, life can be utterly cruel if you're not in the top 10%. I'm not necessarily "Emo" myself, in the way that I do not call myself such...I avoid labeling myself, but I understand them well enough to know they're not any less human than anyone else is, and I believe that anyone who mistreats them is a bully and should not be tolerated.

I believe anyone who is foolish enough to accuse someone of "Posing" as if they have a problem are bigoted. They don't know the person well enough to make the judgement on if they've got that problem or not, and no one else besides an educated person really does. Just because you've taken Psych 101, it doesn't make you an expert...and most professors who teach that class or any other basic Psych class should tell you this!

It's not wrong to feel like you may be suffering one condition or another, or potentially going down a mental road that would LEAD to such an illness. Mental illnesses are serious, and I dislike that people don't take it seriously because someone feels like they're not themselves. You above all people should know yourself better than even a professional would, and it's the Mental Health Professional's job to ask you the right questions and prescribe the right drugs if necessary to help you fix your own problems.

I think that if you thought you were depressed, and were laughed at and hated on for thinking that and asking for help, wouldn't you ultimately shut yourself in to the point where you ACTUALLY DO become depressed? I mean come on, common sense should tell you that!

 

[Nutella]

Depends on the "emo." "True" emos are thought to be actually depressed, borderline misanthropic and/or pessimistic in nature. Regardless of the legitimacy of the emo, I think society pays out the sensitivity that they display, and the pretentiousness associated with conforming. People pay/paid out Valley Girls, Punks, Goths, Twihards... whether they actually mean true harm is dependent on the individual.

I don't think society looks down on depressed people. I just think they take it too lightly. The popularity of the emo subculture in the last... say, five years may have influenced the general public (especially the young) to take not take it seriously.

Also, etymologically, I think "emo" is a word that has become synonymous with "depressed, sad, negative, etc.." When someone calls another an "emo," I highly doubt the name-caller is insinuating the person is clinically depressed.

E.g., "Don't be so emo," can be translated into "don't be so negative; darkly; etc." Nobody in their right minds would mean, "don't be clinically depressed."

 

[Meinfoo]

I think they are looked down on because they are not making the most of their life. I can understand why someone would get frustrated with an emo because there are millions of people with less opportunities, disabled by disease or genetic disorder and simply everyday folk that trying as hard as they can to make something of their life.

While a perfectly capable "emo" is rejecting these opportunities and just moping about feeling sorry about themselves.

 

[Yukimi]

People are cruel to emo kids because they take a serious condition and turn it into a fashion statement. It's almost like they're mocking people with serious depression.

 

[VulpixVixen007]

becaue society thinks they're better and smarter then emos and depressed people and don't care about them. that's my answer and opinion. no offense.

 

[Spanner226]

Any sort of person with a mental illness would probably be avoided/picked on. I do not scoff or make fun of any of those kinds of people, though I find myself feeling a tad uncomfortable around them.

As for others treating depressed people, I infer that the main reason is uncertainty. Many are afraid of the unfamiliar, and tend to avoid or shun it. This may be the case as for why people pick on those with depression. Illnesses like depression should be cured as quickly as possible, or at least before the depressed individual's depression reaches the point when he/she actually tries to commit suicide. One sign of genuine depression is the individual being anti-social. Self-starvation is another sign.

As for "emo" people, it really depends on what the OP means by "emo". Of course, being shunned for being an emo can, in fact, lead to depression.

 

[Morgnarok]

There are a lot of kids now days that go around acting and saying there emo just because they think it is cool and they want to be apart of something. Those type of people are not true emo's and should be looked down on. The true emo's are the ones that have daily issues that are far greater than a normal persons in which that puts them into a state where they feel **** and they have no reason to live.

The real emo's shouldn't be looked down on but helped and try to make there lifes better, But more so emo has came more of a fashion now than a emotion.

 

[Lily]

Difference between actual depression and faking depression for sympathy/whatever.

I'm confused on the term 'emo.' It can be labelled a fashion statement, I suppose, but it's also a condescending tone to basically angsty, whiny teenagers and whatnot. I personally dislike the word. We use it so often the meaning has become so...convoluted. @_@

 

[Nutella]

I'm confused on the term 'emo.' It can be labelled a fashion statement, I suppose, but it's also a condescending tone to basically angsty, whiny teenagers and whatnot. I personally dislike the word. We use it so often the meaning has become so...convoluted. @_@

From an etymological perspective, the word itself should provoke debate, but when thought of its use in colloquial practice, the meanings you have listed all apply. So far, I can think of:

1. A musical genre; generally thought to be softcore punk music, with creational origins from punk and indie rock. Lyrics are often depressive and confessional. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)

2. The name of the fashion style commonly associated with emo music fans; characterised by side-swept bangs obscuring one eye, skinny jeans and tight short-sleeved shirts (with an "emo" band's name and/or logo). One can be (incorrectly) called an "emo" if they follow this style, despite not being interested in emo music.

3. A pejorative adjective and noun used to describe one that is (being) negative, depressive, sad and/or darkly. Though neither person (i.e. the user and the receiver of the adjective) have to be emo, this definition was born from the stereotypical perception of emos in which they display the aforementioned characteristics.

4. A name given to one that is perceived to fit the "emo stereotype". Again, relevant musical interest is often overlooked, hence the "real" emos disliking the "poser" emos.

I remember a couple of years ago that emo got an even worse rap because of the suicide of Hannah Bond.

 

[Aether★]

It all started with postpartum depression... She thought it will end very soon... It didn't. I live almost 20 years with her having chronic depression aka Dysthymia. I look after her, I am a big support for her. I am everything she got and she want to live for me. This is a hard thing for me to tell... All those very bad things done to her by other people, sometimes humilitation, of course there were good moments, but... Hard for me to describe this illness, even though I was brought up by depressed woman.

 

[Exploding Bunny]

People look down on Emos and depressed people because someone anti-social and or not willing to do work and such were considered bad and shunned by the societies they were in because something was wrong with them