Blogger is acting up for me. I meant this to comment on Jonah's last post but it won't load the submission.
I see youth subcultures as a way for young people to develop a style and set of ideals that will carry into their adulthood. Often members of these subcultures are people who find their lives lacking guidance and see the community of the subculture as a way to find a place for themselves. But as most people age they find an individuality that eventually separates themselves from the nucleus of the subculture and they lose the connections they once had or at least don't hold them as high in their priorities. So though there might be older people at punk or metal shows, they may not be part of the subculture; they may be enjoying one of the few ties that they still have to the subculture (and music would certainly be one of the stronger ties) and are not trying to get a high off of being around young people and acting the way they do. Or they might be and just never grew up. I firmly believe that youth subcultures are strictly for youth.
I agree that youth subcultures are strictly for youth. I think that there is a major difference between a youth culture and a group of people who have similar interests and have their own culture. While thinking about Jonah's example of adults at a metal concert, I've started to think that this is not truly an example of a youth culture. Although there is a distinct culture among people who share an interest in metal music, the group somehow lacks a certain quality that would, in my opinion, qualify them as a youth culture. What this quality is, I'm not exactly sure.
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