Here I was, thinking that just because I can hear that high-pitched sound that supposedly only young people can hear, that I was pretty hip.

But I've just encountered a trend among schoolkids that I had never heard of in my life. This
phenomenon where a parent incredulously quizzes his or her child about what "kids these days are doing" was a common occurrence in my home growing up.

And until now I thought I must really be keeping a finger on the pulse of the kids in the schoolyard. (Just writing that sentence probably gets me on that list of folks who are legally required to stay at least 6 miles away from all schoolyards. Please note it's only a figure of speech!)

But have you ever heard of "Emos'' and do you know what they're all about?

If not, read up on the trend here.

It's been described to me as a kind of modern-day "grunge'' or a takeoff on the "Goth'' trend or the "punk'' style.

The kids wear their hear long and hanging in their faces, are emotionally sensitive and depressed and listen to "Emo'' music, which is kind of high-pitched whiny stuff, and they like to do things like compare the scars where they tried to slit their wrists.

That's nteresting and all. But how did an entire way of being and type of music get so well established without my ever having heard about it? I feel like such an adult.

Am I not watching enough MTV?