Many parents get scared for their kid’s well-being if they see them wearing all black and heavy amounts of eyeliner. Not that their appearance and self-expression is what bothers them (well, maybe); what really worries them is the stereotype that comes with being a part of the emo/ alternative subculture.
         

Typically, and most prominently, the biggest stereotype seems to be that these kids are in emotional pain. People seem to think that these teens are romanticizing and glorifying depression in order to “fit in” and “be cool”. And you know what, there may be some of them out there. But the majority seems to be the opposite; the music tends not to be the cause of the emotional pain, but the effect. These kids unfortunately have no one to go to, so they turn to music because only music understands the. Not to say that they’re all alone in their troubles, but sometimes you just can’t express to people what you are feeling. When you fail to find the words for what you’re feeling, lyrics say what you can’t— and they say it perfectly.  Even the guitars in the background contain emotion.
         

But why “emo” music? Why not pop, for instance?  Music shaming isn’t cool, but sometimes a catchy tune about “Last Friday Night” just doesn’t help. The alternative music scene holds heavy lyrics that are deeper than a 1D song, and a lot of times that’s all you need.
         

Usually the musicians themselves have gone through the same thing, and that’s why you can relate to them. They seem to read your mind and heart. Music gives people who hit rock bottom a purpose, it saves peoples’ lives. And in the words of Gerard Way, “it’s there to save other peoples’ lives.” The only thing that gets me through the school day is knowing that I can go home and listen to music on full-blast. It gives me a reason to keep going, and reason to keep pushing on— a purpose.
         

There’s this one interview by My Chemical Romance, where Gerard Way explains why he couldn’t seem to get better. He says: “I was so addicted to self-destruction, I think more than the drugs— there’s something very romantic about it.” As a teen who couldn’t understand why she kept going back to self-destructive habits and ways of thinking, this quote finally explained why I couldn’t get better or let go of everything I was going through.  Sometimes we don’t want to get better because we are addicted to the very opposite. Vocalizing this problem might be a part of what is saving my life, because you can’t fix what you can’t identify.  This is what music is about. It plants seeds, it gives you things that you can relate to so you can discover how to get through all the s*** life throws at you.
         

Maybe music isn’t getting help from a professional, but it is crucial to self-recovery. So yeah, music can save your life.
         

And that’s pretty damn cool.