Teen Gothic

It seems like a lot of these discussions, specifically on tiktok resort to trying to see whose "more valid" than the other person rather than actually coming to a fair conclusion. I've had accusations thrown at me about not being "Goth/alternative" enough with no real justification besides ad hominem, strawmanning, or maybe even projection at best from the other person.

My reaction to it has more or less been doing my own personal research, withdrawing from the online community on and off, flip-flopping from label to label, and further tuning my musical tastes.

The Reddit and YouTube community are a lot more bearable. Even then, there are a few people who still get argumentative for no real reason other than to prove very common information in a really defensive and pretentious manner. Already under the impression that they're speaking to poseurs with no real evidence. The term "e-girl" has become the new word for poseur to a lot of these people.

If I were to put my concerns into words. It'd be this: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/750764200380474363/. This "virgin bad, chad good" dichotomy which obviously takes on a comically exaggerated version of real life people.

A lot of these gatekeepers my age fall under the impression that every other alternative person they come across is an e-girl and over-correct for the sake of "protecting the community" perhaps. Though the over-correcting does more harm than good, and reads as virtue signalling in my opinion. Even if they don't intend to do harm, it comes off as offensive to people like myself who put in the effort only to be shut down by know-it-alls who don't know me at all.

All and all, I don't run into these issues in real life or with eldergoths online, only on sites and apps with a large concentration of people my age and younger were misinformation and circle-jerking is rampant, which is most of the internet.

Has anyone else dealt with this? I've only been in the online community for about 3-4 years and this has been my general takeaway as a young person into the Goth subculture and over-lapping subcultures.

Hello. I'm doing an assignment for school about misconceptions or stereotypes about the goth community and how they affect us as a community. I would like to see what misconceptions you would all like to see be discussed more often or are harmful, but others may not see it as such. Also, I might use your responses in my essay and I'm happy to post it here after I've completed it. 🙂 Obvi I will credit and mention those who's points I may use in the essay. 🙂

Edit: Also how do you all think these misconceptions impact us as a community? Thank you to everyone who responded to my post! I will be asking those who made a particularly detailed point to use their comments in my essay. Thank you!

I recently found out that I love goth music. I mostly listen to Corpus delicti, twin tribes, Bragolin, Linea Aspera, Bauhaus.

I had a tendency to dress in black clothes (I know that dressing in black does not makes an outfit gothic) since I was a child.

I do not feel like I should label myself as goth. I am sayingthis bc there is an high probability that after a few months of listening constantly to goth music I will be tired of this tyle of music and I do not want to consider myself goth and then after half an year I won't even listen to this genre.

It happened to me that I listened to a genre for a few months like a crazy amount of time and then, on one day I just stopped listeningto that type of music.

And for some reason I feel unease when I see these gothic outfits that a lot of goth people wear.

So is it ok to just listen to this type of music whitout labeling myself as goth ? And maybe incorporating some ideas from goth outfits into my own style ?

For some reason people around my age ( 19-20 yo ) either call others posers if people just want to listen to goth music whitout other implications posers, or they just sexualize this subculture.

Am I a poser if I listen to goth music without labeling myself as goth ?

on the spotify wrapped it said people who also like the music i listen to (mainly goth music) was in berkeley california, what is the most active goth community

I'm in a fairly conservative area of a South-Eastern European country and while alternative and goth people are not unknown, there are virtually no spaces for us, no goth clubs of any kind and if any exist they're on an entirely informal basis. On top of that i'm kind of androgynous and i get weird glares for my outfits and long hair anytime i walk out, including whispered comments. I feel severely disconnected as a result.

Watching people here post images of their goth club experiences, being able to dress up and have fun, listen to music and dance is heartbreaking for someone who is in the closet and has no real venue for this. Anyone else in a similar situation?

I'm 28 and recently started to listen to gothic music genres. I found that I enjoy Dark wave and Ethereal Wave a lot and love the vibes of the genres. I'm trying to learn about about history of gothic culture. I feel like I'm to old to join the community, as many seem to find the genre/community in teens.

My favorite Goths online are Angela Benedict, Midnight Owl, It's Black Friday, Toxic Tears, and LeahMouse, but none of these are male Goths. Angela and Owl are particularly my favorite Youtubers, because I find them the most relatable, and informative about the 90's era of Goth.

But as far as I can see, the most well-known male Goths in the community are Goth Dad, Conor of Random Goth Couple, and he who shall not be mentioned.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

First things I still would like to share:

• I'm a part of the Subculture for 7 years, but never really was in contact with other goths before.
• my fav Goth/Post Punk groups are: She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Siouxsie and the banshees, Witching Hour UK, Bauhaus
• I'm a 20 years old girl who would like to know more about the Subculture still
• I'm very happy does I found this Community and I can't wait how it will be.

Btw enjoy the drawing 👉👈