REAL LIFE NEWS: SEE, I TOLD YOU BEING A GOTH WAS BAD FOR YOU!
by Hazed
Here’s a classic case of newspaper headlines making assumptions about what causes what. Goths are at a higher risk of depression, the papers say!
The stories are based on a study from the University of Bristol, which looked at 3,694 15-year-olds based around Bristol in England. It found that the more young people identified with the goth subculture, the higher their likelihood of self-harm and depression. This could be because goths have a tendency to distance themselves from society.
The scientists point out that this doesn’t necessarily mean that being a goth makes you distant from society and therefore prone to depression – it could be that if you are depressed and alienated, you are more likely to be drawn to the goth subculture since its black clothes, heavy black make-up and gloomy music will suit your mood.
Others have said that it could be that goths are simply more open to talking about their depression.
So clearly, it’s not that being a goth causes depression – it’s just that there may be a link. That didn’t stop the headline writers from jumping to conclusions, though.
Remember, correlation does not equal causation.
