Are we all just edgy teenagers?

From Debate Me, Bro by MK Zariel

honestly? sorta.

q: how does anarchism as a political philosophy differ from teenagers being edgy?

a: so before going into this, i would like to name that ageism of any kind has no place in anarchist spaces. i have met anarchists who are ten. i have met anarchists who are eighty. i have met anarchists of every age in between. the idea that all anarchists are twenty and in college is inaccurate and disproven by most anarchist spaces. with that out of the way…

teenagers being edgy is a totally understandable trauma response to lived experience of ageism. many of us experience infantalization because of our age, have to deal with nuclear family and compulsory education, or are subject to ageism under the law; as a result, we often push back, form our own identities, decide who we want to become. for some of us this happens to fall within the norms set up by the school system and state power; for others of us, it’s framed as edgy. certainly, some life changes are spurred by a rebellious impulse, a desire to distance oneself from the systems that cause one harm—and this is a perfectly valid motivation to do something.

 

sometimes people transition because their AGAB role, as defined by society, is harming them. sometimes people’s political views change because they want to be different from the views they’ve seen around them, and know those views don’t resonate with them. sometimes people come out as queer because they don’t feel aligned with the heteronormative culture they see. sometimes people adopt a different aesthetic style because they want to provoke others or show the ways in which what they find beautiful differs from what the people around them do. sometimes people are interested in dark or macabre topics because this is how we, as humans, process the things that scare us. sometimes people start setting firmer boundaries because they haven’t ever set boundaries and it now feels really important for them.

every single one of these choices might be seen as a valid life decision if an adult does it, and rebellious/edgy/goth/emo/just a phase/whatever if a teenager does it.

because none of our identities, aesthetics, or beliefs happen in a vacuum.

seeing something around you or in the dominant culture, not identifying with it, and wanting to distance yourself from it is a really common way to find out what you value, “edgy” or not. and so, yes, anarchism can fall under the umbrella of “edgy teenager” behavior, because sometimes teenagers (and adults) realize they’re anarchists because they feel a profound disidentification with power structures. sometimes a natural desire to feel or be different can be a part of this. and that does not make it any less necessary or important.

does this mean anarchism is only for teenagers? of course not. does it mean anarchism is a phase? no—and even if someone leaves the anarchist movement, that doesn’t mean their anarchism didn’t matter. does it mean that anarchism is ONLY driven by feeling different and doesn’t have a backing in critical theory? of course not. but as a teenager myself, i tend to think that rather than rejecting “edgy teenager” accusations, we should unpack why that’s even considered a problem. anarchism is for everyone, edgy teenagers included.