I think of "emo" as a term for a certain social clique. Like an "emo" is someone who listens to sappy music, likes feminine type things like music or art, wears black, is quiet, emotional, etc. But it's just a label; some people boast about being "emo" while others don't like the term.

I think the main concern with the entire idea of being "emo" is that there are certain people who will actually show off their "emo" ways and even brag about cutting themselves, like it's cool to do. I've seen articles that described young girls experimenting with cutting themselves to fit in and be cool in their "emo" group. This takes away from the severity of cutting and kills the ability to really educate people about what cutting is all about.

It's not about being "emo" it's about dealing with issues in an unhealthy way. Self-injury is just a symptom of something deeper. Until people are educated on the difference between a self-injurer and someone who claims to be "emo," it will negatively affect how people who self-injure are helped; more importantly, some self-injurers may be scared to seek out help because they might be labeled.