{"id":1404,"date":"2022-02-23T23:09:39","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T23:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=1404"},"modified":"2022-02-23T23:09:39","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T23:09:39","slug":"alt-boy-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/alt-boy-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Alt Boy - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking at a teen boy with black hair, piercings, and makeup? If so, you're staring at an \"alt boy<\/em>.\" This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this moniker.<\/p>\n

Alt Boy Meaning<\/h2>\n

Alt boys are a subculture found on the Tik Tok social media platform. An \"alt boy<\/em>\" is a teenage boy that fashions themselves as a rebel against societal norms. They often mock people they describe as \"normies<\/em>,\" meaning people that have no attribution to a group or subculture and are just happy getting on with life.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, these \"alt boys<\/em>\" don't realize that they are falling into a stereotype, which is what they are trying to avoid with their behavior.<\/p>\n

An \"alt boy<\/em>\" has a similar look to the \"goths<\/em>\" of the 80s and 90s and the \"emo kids<\/em>\" of the 2000s. They all have dark hair with colored highlights piercings, and they use mascara to give their eyes a sunken look as if they are stressed or spent hours crying.<\/p>\n

Alt Boy Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\"Look at that guy over there; he's the modern version of goth. What an alt boy<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n

\"These alt boys<\/em> are doing everything they can to look unique, but they don't realize they are just following a trend.\"<\/p>\n

\"That alt boy<\/em> is irritating; he's always acting depressed when he has nothing to be depressed about in his life. He's the son of a millionaire.\"<\/p>\n

\"Alt boys<\/em> are annoying, always whining about stuff that has no importance in life. I'm tired of watching them play the victim all the time.\"<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Alt Boy Origin<\/h2>\n

The term \"alt boy<\/em>\" originates from the 2000s, where society would refer to teens dressing all in back, with long hair, pale skin, and piercings as \"emo kids<\/em>.\" These kids would also wear eyeliner or mascara to make their eyes appear dark, and they were the progression of \"goth<\/em>\" culture.<\/em><\/p>\n

Typically, these \"emo kids<\/em>\" would fall into the stereotype of being depressed and apathetic, and they would listen to \"emo<\/em>\" or \"goth<\/em>\" music. This subculture would protest against stereotypes and \"normies<\/em>,\" but ironically, would become what they were rebelling against, nothing more than a stereotype.<\/p>\n

The term \"emo boy<\/em>\" or \"emo kid<\/em>\" would see a change to \"alt boy<\/em>\" after 2016 and the popularization of the \"Tik Tok<\/em>\" social media app. Today, an \"alt boy<\/em>\" defines the same look of an \"emo boy<\/em>,\" and they bear the same characteristics as \"emo kids<\/em>,\" having dark hair with a long fringe and short back and sides, sometimes with red, purple, or white colors dyed into their hair on the fringe.<\/p>\n

\"Alt boys<\/em>\" are a popular subculture in Tik Tok, and some of them have huge followings. Most of the videos featuring these boys would have them complaining about life and society's \"cookie-cutter<\/em>\" aspects. However, like the original emo kids, \"alt boys<\/em>\" mostly don't realize they fall into a stereotype and have all the same characteristics as the people they love to hate.<\/p>\n