Those angsty teenage years of middle school through early high school were rough. For a lot of people, when they needed a place to go to feel comfortable, they turned to emo music.

Generally a Very Accepting Community

The emo community was a very accepting community. Kids often felt comfortable expressing the parts of their identity that they did not have the space to express outside of the emo community. Several members of the LGBT+ community, notably Dan Howell, have mentioned that this acceptance came at a very critical point in their lives.

You Could Always Turn to Emo Music

No matter what your personal favorite band was - Black Veil Brides, Pierce the Veil, My Chemical Romance, etc. - you chose them because of what they said in their music. Emo music did not hold back on talks of mental illness or grief. For a lot of kids who felt that their feelings were belittled by people in their lives, these bands were here to show them that they were not alone.

You're a Freak if You're not a Freak

Emo culture also involved a lot of weirdness. Looking back now, we think of it as cringey. But at the time, it was important for us to share in on the weirdness, be part of an inside joke. The way to fit in was to not fit in (although, wearing all black and putting on dar