i was into the whole goth scene over 15 years ago when i was in high school..i sound old.....

anyhow, for me it was about the music and about dressing in a manner that would make me stand out from the crowd.i found most kids my age boring and with very little or poor taste in music, books, etc. the goth kids i spent time with in and out of school were, in my opinion, the most interesting because unlike other kids they weren't concerned about whether they'd make a sports team that year or not. they liked to read and liked the same bands i did. most significantly however, it was a way of rebelling against my catholic, strict upbringing, that looking back at now, was not as bad as my angst-ridden teen self thought back then (i'm sure that's often the case for most people)

however, something that turned me off from that whole scene early on, and that still irks me, is that a lot of goths carry on as though they are on the brink on their last breath.
i know that it is exactly that whole dramatic aspect of goth that attracts some people to the scene but frankly, most goths aren't all that deep and just because they carry on with a pouty face all day long doesn't make them that much deeper or interesting than everyone else.
i remember how some of the kids i used to spend time with would rarely crack a smile or laugh. everything was sooooooooo serious and a matter of life or death to them. for a short while i fell into that too but it never really felt all that genuine to me. i often felt i had to act that way otherwise i'd be thought of as a poser or something because i DID like to laugh. i used to even make fun of them because they were so ridiculous with their "heaviness." i never fully bought into it.
i am sure there are exceptions to this ..but most of the goths i've ever met were just like that.whenever i see any i feel like telling them to grow up and get over it, especially the ones in their late 20's early 30's!