Self-Proclaimed Art or Fad?

If you don’t already have a tattoo, you’re thinking about it, and if you’re not even thinking about it, then you are a small minority in comparison to your peers. The neck, behind the ears, collar bone, sleeves, wrists, and feet are all hot spots for the tattoo craze. Everyone is attempting to make up the most creative, personal, or unique design to ink onto their skin. Some would credit rappers like Lil’ Wayne for the born-again boom of tattoos that was previously lived out in the ninety’s, died down, and is now making a comeback. Others will deny any outside influence and proclaim that it is a form of art that they choose to display on their body. Either way, I am questioning whether or not this is a generation strongly dedicated to self-expression or if it is a craze that will be regretted in the future. Not all of us will be celebrities, many of us working towards a professional career, and there has been an unofficial standard set that brands tattoos as “unprofessional”. In this case, is the professional world going to be more accepting to tattoos or keep its standard set? If the professional world does not become more accepting of tattoos, will it be more difficult for the large amount of people in our generation with visible tattoos to break into and gain the upmost respect in our careers? If not, would it be fair that this perspective is based on what is looked at by Corporate America as a physical blemish? Even though it is a standard that has been set and known for many previous years? I bring this up, because I feel it is an issue that many fit into; I myself have a visible tattoo. The majority of us have been raised to believe that the choices we make in the present will affect our future. Is society becoming more accepting to a youthful population that chooses to express themselves in a particular manner, or is this a fad that we will regret in the future years to come?



Stormi J

Photo Credits to Google Images