Matt McCoach, 17, Edinburgh

When people think of bands such as Metallica or Blink 182, the immediate connection is made to Goths, with their black hair, white face make-up and painted black lips. I am a Metalhead and there are many unfair stereotypes circulating about us. We are considered to smell foul, which is unfair as we are very conscious about our appearance.

Alternative people are always associated with drugs and alcohol, when the majority of this alternative sector do not use either.

It would be helpful if people knew what exactly alternative people are about. For starters, the whole group is divided into smaller subgroups including Goths, skaters, metalheads, emos and scene kids.

Goths are prone to dressing in black for a large amount of the time (with or without make-up) and listening to bands such as Slipknot and Mudvayne. Skaters are best described as happy partygoers with an alternative style, that being their love for all things extreme (snowboarding, skateboarding, bmx-ing) and listening to bands such as Blink182.

Metalheads are a less inhibited band of people who listen to anything from DragonForce to Nile. Emos are looked down on by most of the other alternative groups, often unfairly because they are stereotyped as having a whiny personality. The Emo music universe is currently revolving around My Chemical Romance and The Used. Scene kids are stereotyped as following whatever trend is popular at this point in time and are usually fond of the band Fall Out Boy.

One of the biggest generalisations about the alternative community, specifically Goths, is that they we are a bunch of self-harmers. It is an act made by a minuscule amount of our society and this action has everything to do with the individual and nothing to do with how they dress.

As you can see, there are stereotypes for each alternative group in the same way that there are stereotypes for every class, race or creed. But everyone is an individual. It is unfair to judge people before you know them.

My point is to be open-minded towards people and not be prejudiced by stereotypes.

The alternative culture is fairly relaxed. Like everybody else, we enjoy spending time with our friends, going out and having a laugh. In Edinburgh, The Mission at Studio 24 has, for a number of years now, been the hang out spot for most alternative people, along with Cockburn Street. If you really want to know what alternative people are like and not judge them, just head there and talk to them.

Christie Cheng, 16, Glasgow Goths.
Upon hearing this word, the typical person would envisage an ignorant and stubborn young teenager masked in white, black and red lurid make-up, enclosed in long, black leather cloaks with tight, shiny PVC clothing and scarred arms underneath. And some fishnets. The typical person would list the bands a Goth may delight in as NIN and Marilyn Manson. But how close to the truth is this?

Is a Goth really defined merely by their clothing and music taste? Is it just a name for these individuals who like to dress a little differently? Or is it a media label for mentally distressed children who tend to resort to self-harming when the going gets tough?

My own father often calls me a Goth. If you knew me, or even took one glance at me, from that alone you would know that I am definitely nowhere near being a Goth. Of course, he only says it in jest when I get rather bored and tend to attack myself with eyeliner or drastic lipstick.

I do have friends who call themselves Goths, so I can confidently say that these recent reports of self-harming being associated with Goths is utter drivel. It's been widely acknowledged that self-harming is extremely common amongst teenagers, but it is a bit much to suggest that Goths are doing it to follow the trend. Having asked around, no-one seems to have heard of any of their Goth friends, or merely Goths for that matter, self-harming to be "cool".

If you ventured out into Glasgow's city centre, you would encounter a group of Goths.

Most people tend to avoid them for fear of any trouble. But have you ever talked to them and discussed their views? They are only trying to find their own personas by trying out various others. Or maybe, just maybe (at the risk of outraging any young Goth readers), it's just a phase.

After all, throughout our teenage years we tend to go through various phases. I personally think that people should stop making such a fuss out of what "monstrosities kids are wearing these days". It might affect the town's image, but possibly in a good way, such as by making Glasgow seem more accepting. Why not just let them be?

If people are fed-up with so many of these stereotypes littering the city centre of scenic Glasgow, just remember that they're only stereotypes because people insist on labelling them. Otherwise, they'd just be friendly teenagers with a similar fashion sense.

What is a Goth?

We asked members of Mini Mission, Edinburgh's top alternative night for under 18s, what they think makes a Goth Define Goth Music?

Rebecca (15): I don't think Goth is a music type nowadays, it's just an image now, but anyone who listens to rock is labelled a Goth.

Lewis (12): Thrash metal sort of stuff. but it depends on the type of Goth.

And Goth fashion?

Rebecca: Over-the-top make up, PVC and leather, knee-high boots and bondage trousers. To adults and other kids, it's anyone wearing black.

Lewis: Shiny metal and black.

Leather and checkered stuff is cool too.

What do you think of the media's portrayal of Goths?

Rebecca: It is stupid. My friends are Goths and none of them self-harm, none of us pretend we are suicidal, and we don't dress death up to be something cool and fun. We're just normal kids with a different music taste who like to wear black clothes What do your parents' think of it?

Rebecca: My mum and my dad really don't mind. I'm still the same person I was before I was into all of this and I behave well, I get my head down in school, I don't do things to look cool and I respect other people.

Lewis: My mum is OK with me dressing like a Goth and listening to the music. My dad finds it a bit weird and he keeps on telling me that I'm intimidating to other people and I should respect people a bit more. People just don't understand us. They should learn about us a bit more. Yeah, make a lesson at school ­ period six: Gothtory!

What are the downsides to being labelled a Goth?

Rebecca: We get abuse and people are always starting fights with us for no reason other than we wear black and listen to Slipknot. Adults in the street give us disapproving looks and start talking about us as though we aren't worth the life we have. I think its pathetic that people can hate you without knowing you because of the clothes you wear or the friends you have or the music you listen to.

Lewis: But an advantage is we have amazing places to go, like the Mission, and we can be shiny and dark at the same time.

www. minimish. com