Why do some parents think cutting yourself is a fashion among teenagers?

one time my mother and i were talking about teenagers who cut themselves because they were depressed, but my mother seems to think that they are not depressed, that cutting yourself is a fashion,a stupid fashion among teenagers. when it is not. i would never cut myself i love myself way to much. but i know ppl at school who do and i also have friends whose mothers think the same. idk it just has me thinking. fashion or not. i would say not b/c that would be a super dumb fashion but idk how other ppl think.Why do some parents think cutting yourself is a fashion among teenagers?
i used to do it in junior high. i felt it helped me in someway..whenever anyone got me mad..but anywho,i dont anymore. anyways,my friends...tho...started copying me! and then their friends started copying them..i thought,wtf? yes it did start going like a trend...so i guess some ppl are really hurt,and some aren't. either way parents should know and care whats going on. next the kid can get into heavy drugs,pills..and can die,so it shouldnt' be taken lightly.Why do some parents think cutting yourself is a fashion among teenagers?
i know some people that really do suffer from cutting, but then I also know some dumbass kids who cut themselves just to make them seem more ';emo'; and it kinda pisses me off because now it seems like cutting has just associated itself with emo kids and whenever you hear about someone who cuts themselves because they really do have a problem, people just downplay it like its just some emo kid, and ignore the fact that they might actually have a problem. honestly, the people who cut themselves to seem more emo are f*cking retarded and they really need to get some help.
maybe their viewpoint is still very old fashioned.
I have been wondering lately myself why it seems that cutting has suddenly become the ';thing to do'; among a certain sect of teenager. When it moved from being a secret, self-proclaiming expression of emotional pain to a ';fad.';





Then I realized: because that seems to be the way it's being portrayed lately.





I've seen recent news programs about it where the cutters seem to be trying to be cool (that wasn't the intention of the reporter, as they were trying to show it as an illness or a problem...but clearly they didn't understand what ';real'; cutting was or they would have found better interview subjects or done something different if they couldn't find anyone willing to talk who wasn't just in it for the ';cool'; factor or thought it was cool). There does seem to be a part of teen population that seems to treat it more like a fad or like a self statement...you know one of those that people make to stand apart and be different when really they're just fitting in to a darker niche in school society. It's like now they're cutting instead of getting piercings or tattoos (or along with).





I know there are still mostly ';real'; cutters out there. The ones who somehow discover it on their own and realize that somehow it makes them feel so much better. I'm guessing they're just not jumping at the chance to make the local 10 o'clock news, though, so your mother is seeing and hearing about the others who want the spotlight...making it seem like the fashion and not a serious illness. I know I wouldn't have put myself out there as a cutting teen. I didn't want anyone to know. I still probably wouldn't (and I'm 39 years old!). In fact, I cringe when there's another program or show on TV that deals with cutting (whether good or bad) not because I don't think it should be shown (it's an important topic that should be covered), but because I'm afraid that my coworkers or boss will see it and realize what all my scars really are!





So, in my typical long-windedness I think the type of cutters local and syndicated news programs are showing, coupled with the fact that TV reporting on this subject and the coverage in popular TV shows makes people think that this is a sudden increase or explosion in the behavior, therefore: fad. Not true in most cases, of course, but understandable how people who haven't experienced it with someone they know might get the wrong idea. Programs that show the real side of cutting are few and far between.





I think it's great that you talked with your mother about something like this. First off, I think it's important for her to know that it isn't something you could ever see yourself doing. Secondly, it does become our job to educate our parents. Different people know, learn, and see different things. Those experiences should be talked about and shared, with mutual respect.