Teen Gothic

Idk if anyone else has seen these posts but theres a big rise in people asking 'how to be goth' and if they are goth enough to call themselves goth and all this anxiety around simply the word goth.

I find it somewhat odd, how rather than first discover the bands, fashion, people, culture ect, they discover the label. With how social media works today there is so much disconnect between who we are and how we present ourselves online.

Thus all the anxiety, imposter syndrome, panic and focus on labels. Kids today hearing about wanting a "BtGGF" before hearing their first sisters of mercy song, or meeting their first goth.

Rather than come at this problem with hate which i feel many on the internet do, I think empathy with these identity confused teenagers will always help. Please don't feel like you are or aren't goth enough, its not a measurement. That's not how passions and interests work. You look for music, what you think you might like and if you love a song you love it. If you don't like a song you don't like it. Please don't feel like goth is a membership with a test you have to pass to be in the goth club. Goths are simply people with similar music based interests. If you listened to that a lot of that music and enjoyed it, then you're pretty goth.

Please don't feel like you have to be 1 thing, listen to what you love and have no shame. Get out there and explore as much interesting music you can find. And think to yourself do you actually like this song or is it just cool or goth enough to ease your anxiety around weather your a real goth

Your aim shouldn't be to become a goth, your aim should be to find music you genuinely love and enjoy.

Anyways just love yourself and love what you love

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I (M) have identified as goth most of my life, but I struggle with feeling like I don't belong because I don't dress like a stereotypical "goth".

Although I do wear a decent amount of black (which I LOVE), it's generally not very "alternative" style.

I don't have tattoos, and no piercings, etc. (though in my heart I do)

Many days I look and dress like a typical person. Like, most days if someone saw me they would never guess I was goth. I know lots of people who identify as goth could say the same, but still.

I DO however have dark, witchy, goth decor in my apartment, and I'm a regular at my city's local goth club (the one place I do dress in an outwardly goth style).

But I still feel like an imposter sometimes. Do others struggle with that? I know this might all sound superficial, maybe it's just in my head. Other perspectives might help me. Thanks!