The Internet is Killing Subculture and That Really Sucks

Remember when subcultures actually meant something? When being punk wasn’t just DIY-ing a distressed t-shirt you learned how to screen print yourself, and being goth meant more than posting a moody outfit pic on TikTok with a Lana Del Rey song? (Somewhere, Robert Smith is wincing.) Subcultures used to be about community, rebellion, and shared identity. Now, thanks to the internet, they’ve been sliced into a thousand tiny aesthetics, commodified to death, and stripped of their actual meaning … and no, pointing this out isn’t gatekeeping, it’s just the truth.

Subcultures Used to Be About Belonging, Not Branding

Back in the pre-smartphone era, if you were goth, punk, or into kawaii style, it wasn’t about racking up likes. It was about finding your people. You had to seek out niche record stores, dig through thrift shops, or (god forbid) actually talk to strangers at shows or conventions. Subcultures were an escape from the mainstream, not just another feed-friendly aesthetic for the algorithm to chew up. (Not to mention, the last thing you were is probably liked, at least by the general public, no matter how lame that is.)

Now? The internet has turned subcultures into fast fashion trends. Instead of being movements tied to music, art, or ideology, they’re mostly boiled down to surface-level “vibes” that brands and influencers can monetize. It’s less “I believe in this” and more “does this fit my grid?”

The 500 Flavors of Goth

Let’s talk about goth, specifically, because the internet has taken it and run it into the ground. Once rooted in post-punk music and a fascination with the dark and dramatic, goth now has so many micro-labels it’s laughable. Pastel goth, cyber goth, gym goth. And apparently clean goth (Which by the way what does that even mean? Showering with a studded loofah while Type O Negative plays in the background?)

The issue isn’t that people can’t experiment with personal style, that’s great! We love that. The problem is that the subculture has been diluted into dozens of meaningless offshoots, each one with its own micro-communities ready to judge and gatekeep, hardcore. The irony is, goth was originally about embracing individuality and existing outside of the mainstream … but online, it’s become hyper-judgmental, aesthetic-obsessed, and more about curating the perfect look than living the lifestyle.

Gyaru, Harajuku, and the Hollowing Out of Fun

Japanese subcultures like Gyaru and Harajuku fashion are another example. Once rooted in rebellion against rigid social norms in Japan, these styles were vibrant, chaotic, and unapologetically weird in the best possible way. Harajuku, in particular, was all about creative freedom and community in the streets of Tokyo.

Now, the internet has turned Gyaru and Harajuku into exportable, Pinterest-worthy aesthetics that are more about bubblegum color palettes than actual cultural context. The nuance, the history, the energy? Totally watered down. It’s the equivalent of taking a wild, technicolor street parade and compressing it into a mood board captioned “cute vibes only ✨”

Punk is Dead (and the Internet Killed It)

Punk used to be about rage, rebellion, and giving the system the finger. It was political, messy, and deeply tied to music. But now, “punk” often translates to buying a leather jacket and Doc Martens while listening to whatever TikTok decides is punk-adjacent this week.

The internet has made punk “accessible,” but in doing so, it’s stripped it of its teeth. Punk as a subculture had a point. Now, it’s mostly aesthetic cosplay, all the edge, none of the ideology, which is the exact opposite of what punk was ever meant to be.

The Gatekeeping Problem

Here’s the kicker: even though subcultures have been hollowed out by oversaturation, the judgment and gatekeeping within them are worse than ever. People argue endlessly online about who is a “real” goth, “real” punk, or “real” Gyaru. Instead of fostering community, these spaces have become toxic competitions over who can best embody a look.

The internet makes this worse because everything is performative. Your subculture identity isn’t about hanging out with friends or attending a show, it’s about how convincingly you can present yourself to strangers online. It’s exhausting, shallow, and completely misses the point.

Why This Actually Matters

You might be thinking, “Okay, so people are cosplaying subcultures online. Who cares?” But here’s why it sucks: subcultures used to provide real refuge for people who didn’t fit into mainstream society. They were safe havens for outsiders, weirdos, and anyone who needed a sense of belonging. When you strip away the meaning and reduce them to just aesthetics, you take away that refuge.

Instead of finding a place to belong, people get stuck in endless cycles of self-comparison and consumerism. The “vibe” becomes more important than the values … and once brands sink their teeth in, whether it’s fast fashion lines pumping out “punk-inspired” clothes or influencers slapping “goth” hashtags on outfits they’ll never wear again, the subculture becomes more about sales than solidarity.

So… Can Subcultures Survive the Internet?

The internet isn’t going away, and neither is the trendification of everything. But, maybe there’s a way forward. Instead of obsessing over labels like “clean goth” or arguing online about who’s punk enough, people could refocus on the actual roots of these subcultures: the music, the community, the shared values.

Offline spaces matter more than ever. Go to shows, support local artists, shop from indie designers who actually live the culture instead of fast fashion brands who co-opt it, engage in real communities, not just algorithm-approved feeds. Subcultures can still exist, but only if people care about the substance, not just the aesthetics. You can be the change.

Subcultures were never meant to be for everyone, and that’s okay. They were meant to be spaces where people found meaning and identity outside of mainstream culture. The internet, with its endless appetite for aesthetics and content, has flattened those spaces into bland, overexposed “vibes,” and honestly? That really sucks.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. If we can stop obsessing over micro-labels and start reconnecting with the real heart of subculture, community, creativity, and rebellion, then maybe there’s still hope. Until then, we’ll just keep scrolling through endless TikToks about gym goths and wondering how long it’ll be before someone coins “farm-to-table goth.”