My reflections on the article

After reading this article on the internet, I have to say that I am growing increasingly disturbed by a trend. Apparently, many teens, who are around the same age as my peers and I, are into this 'emo' fad, and some go to the extent of slashing their wrists and other body parts in order to show how tormented they feel. They mutilate themselves in order to feel 'better', or to relieve themselves of their angst, and are often depressed and socially inactive.
Firstly, I shall cover what I think is the reason behind this 'emo' fad, which seems to be all the rage now. The first group of teens who mutilate themselves would be those who are attention-seekers. They feel that they are not loved or noticed by their parents enough, so they slash at their wrists in an attempt to draw attention to themselves. By cutting themselves, they seem to be saying, "Look at me! I'm so pitiful, I have to resort to this to deal with my emotions!"
The second group of people who would cut themselves would be the 'sheep', or those who subcribe to the herd mentality. After watching some of their peers act depressed, write sorrowful poetry and cut themselves, these teens think this is 'cool' and do it themselves. This might be a way of fitting in with friends who also mutilate themselves, or might be an attempt to impress others with their newfound anguish.
Now, it is obvious why this trend of self-mutilation is extremely worrying and should be stopped as soon as possible. Not only is there an enormous risk of physical harm, such as losing too much blood and permanent scarring, there is also the psychological and emotional aspect too. The 'emo' teens might form a dependancy on cutting themselves, and rely on it to release their pent up emotions, instead of other healthier ways such as talking to their parents.
There are various problems which complicate this issue as well. One would be the extent to which this 'emo' trend has spread. Even in school, I encounter many classmates and friends who seem depressed, whether because of stress or personal problems. I myself admit to have a penchant for black clothes, and there was even a point in time where I would lock myself in my room and write angst-ridden poetry for hours on end.
However, I feel that if 'emo' behavior is limited to this, it is acceptable. As long as a person does not start hurting himself, he is free to wear whatever colour clothes he wants, or to write any kind of poetry. On the other hand, once his thoughts become more morbid, and turn to self-mutilation and suicide, something is wrong.
I beseech all teens to think twice before continuing on this trend. One thing to note would be the fact that many teens who do such things are actually from stable families, and are getting younger. However, what is there to be depressed about now? As long as you have a roof over your head and food to eat, why is there a the need for such tormented lamentations of agony? It is said that a person's childhood is the most carefree period in his or her life, so why mar it with such extreme overreaction to minor problems?
I conclude by saying that although teens should be allowed to express themselves in whatever way they see fit, it is certainly not okay to go to the extent of hurting themselves to do so.