Lately, many of the talk shows are airing the theme of suicide, particularly among young people, as there has been a spike in attempts and actual suicides. In listening to the mental health experts, I have learned more about the phenomenon of clinical depression, its symptoms, causes, and treatment.
I have been reminded of the importance of having trained counsellors in place at school and in a community to work with youngsters who manifest suicidal tendencies, so as to prevent tragic outcomes. Without doubt, the recent escalation of suicides among teenagers and the subsequent parade protesting the taking of one’s life in the town of Benque Viejo del Carmen, has highlighted the regret, fear and gut-wrenching grief felt by parents, relatives and friends at the tragic death of a loved one. Ironically, while this town has a low crime rate, it is experiencing loss of life among the young, from self-inflicted acts.
Although the reasons why someone chooses to resort to the taking of one’s life are far from easy to figure out, it behoves us as a society and community of parents, teachers, and friends to consider the many contributing factors that can result in these disastrous decisions. In conversing with high school and university students in the area, I learned from the analysis they shared with me, that they consider one of the contributing factors to be the “EMO” subculture that has taken root among many of the young people.
Exactly what is the “EMO” culture? Actually, the term comes out of a genre of music originating in Washington D.C., known as “hardcore punk rock” of the 1980s and which later became known as “emocore”. Emotional and confessional, its lyrics became characterized as “hardcore emotional”. To be Emos became equated with being emotional, sensitive, and suffering from great angst. Research—readily found on most online sites—tracks the development of this music genre developing from bands that included Rites of Spring and Embrace, to a metamorphosis to new forms combining “pop punk” and “indie rock.” By the 1990’s, the genre became adapted by independent labels in the Central and Mid-western USA, and by the 2000’s, it entered the mainstream via Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional that boasted platinum-rated sales.
Emo lyrics shifted the emphasis from the external to the internal, that is, from the public sphere to the individual. Impassioned, romantic, and highly poetic in expression and desperation, the lyrics appealed to a sense of loneliness, shyness, and introverted anguish. Accompanied by melodic guitars, Emo music enveloped the individual in a cocoon of self-absorption. In its evolution, Emo took on new meanings. It became a fashion, an attitude, and behaviour.
Stereotypically, Emo dress includes black clothing, belts with studs, shirts marked with the names of bands, and slim-fitting jeans. Hair is worn with a side bangs covering one side of the face, and is sometimes bleached blonde, or sported in bright highlights of pinks or blues. With the popularization of the culture, however, the hair and other colours became darker—to represent the sombreness and deep feelings of anguish.
As with various generational trends, many young people have adopted the dress and music of the Emos on a superficial level. For instance, in my teen years, young people listened to Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin, sported long hair, dark shades, but did not necessarily take drugs, as was associated with lovers of these music genres. Likewise, although the Emo culture is associated with suicide and “cutting”—self-injury—supposedly a trademark of the Emo culture—many young people who have assumed the dress and behaviour, say that they do not cross the line into self-injury. Therein resides the difficulty for the social worker, teacher, parent, and counsellor: to differentiate between the young people who assume a superficial adaptation of the Emo culture, as opposed to those fully committed to the philosophy of self-injury, and even suicide, in moments of romantic disillusionment or despair.
It is important to take note of what our young people are saying. If they point to the Emo culture as a possible contributing factor to the recent suicides and suicide attempts, then we need to, at the very least, become familiar with the phenomenon. Certainly, not all the suicides and attempts at it are a result of the influence of the Emo culture. (Teenagers and adults grapple daily, internally, to overcome life’s stumbling blocks and arrive at, sometimes, the unfortunate decision to take their lives on their own.) But we need to consider, seriously, that it can be an influential factor. Therefore, it is critical that trained personnel work with these young people, as well as with their parents, to address their fears and influences and challenges in life.
Equally important, is our creating a social consciousness to create a healthy lifestyle for our young people before they fall into despair. The answer resides not so much in treatment, as in prevention.
Last week Thursday, I was honoured to be asked by the Rotary Club of San Ignacio to join two other judges, Dr. Nan Lopez and Mrs. Zoe Zetina, to weigh in on the talents of some 34 contestants from nine high schools in the region who participated in the Voice of the West Elocution/Essay Contests. My understanding is that the Voice of the West contest has been held in the Cayo District for the past nine years.
Hosted by Hode’s Place—you cannot go to Cayo and not drop in at Hode’s—students had an opportunity to test their elocutionary skills by reading from published poems and excerpts, and by delivering their very own original poetry. Likewise, the essayists made it difficult for us as judges to render a decision, for they wrote thoughtfully on the topics assigned. For me, this annual event for young people is an exemplary model of what we can do to assist them to channel their talents in productive ways. For the introverted, there are many activities that can be designed to bring out their talents. Isolation is not the answer.
Without a doubt, there is no quick answer to address the attempts at suicide and suicide cases we are hearing about. But, that does not mean that we should be fatalistic or apathetic about the situation, or reactive rather than proactive. We need to learn about the “ghosts” that torment them. Yes, we need to work, as a body, with our young people, particularly those at great risk—whether for reasons of poverty, or social and psychological influences—to create wholesome spiritual, emotional and physical spaces for all.