Tattoos: Why are they leaving their mark on Generation Y? The practice of tattooing has been one of civilization’s most enduring art forms, with references to it going back over 5000 years. The practice has been both revered and stigmatized. The Victorian gentry used tattoos as status symbols until the invention of the electric needle, which made the procedure more commonplace. With its rise in popularity and its association with the lower classes, sailors, and even criminals, the elite in society chose to refrain from the practice. However, over the last twenty years the tattoo has undergone a dramatic resurgence, particularly with those aged between eighteen and thirty five years old. The reasons for this revival are popular culture, self expression and peer pressure. One thing that has promoted the use of tattoos with the younger generation is today’s popular culture and its icons. The “A” list of film stars, music artists and sporting personalities such as Angelina Jolie, Rihanna, David and Victoria Beckham, and Aaron Hernandez, all wear their ink stamps blatantly and with pride. These personalities have glamorised tattoos, and young people see that they are no longer associated with criminals and outlawed biker gangs. On the contrary, tattoos have made their way into art galleries, museums, fashion runways, and even the front cover of The New Yorker magazine. Television shows such as Miami Ink, which first aired in 2005, have promoted the art into the acceptable mainstream, and spin off shows such as L.A. Ink and the tattoo competition series Ink Master, have helped to cement the practice as a normal part of our culture. With the advance of social media over the past ten years, it can be seen that the artists featured in these popular shows are now celebrities themselves, and are being “followed” by millions. Tattoo conventions are exploding in popularity, and in the media tattoos are seen on people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars. These media images link tattoos with ideas of wealth, success and status. Many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value, and when once they would go to a seedy back street hole to get one, now they can go to a tattoo shop which is known as a place of legend; there is even one that has opened recently on the exclusive 5th Avenue in New York City. Self expression is another reason why the explosion of tattoos is blossoming. Many young people seem to be having a crisis of their own identity; instead of embracing their personalities or gifts from the inside, they feel a need to mark their identity externally. They mark their individuality with birthdates, anniversaries and marks of their religious or ethnic cultures, their beliefs, or their feelings. Some use it as a form of tribute to a loved one that has died, in the same way that those from another generation may keep the ashes of their loved one on the mantle. Many of those turning eighteen think of it as marking their passage into adulthood. Others think of it as an act of rebellion, an art form, or a way of just being different. Opposed to being different, many of the younger generation getting tattoos are doing so due to peer pressure. The teenage years are arguably the most confusing period in a person’s life. Just trying to fit in can be an overwhelming feeling for an adolescent. It is a time when a teen is more likely to listen to the advice of his or her peers than their parents. It is also a time when teenagers are spending more time with their friends and less time with their family; this makes them more susceptible to the influences of their peers. The desire to be part of a group and to be accepted by one’s friends can be all that occupies their minds. While a person’s friends are all getting a tattoo, that person is more likely to do the same thing, and get a tattoo too. Even though popular culture, self expression, and peer pressure are all unique reasons for the resurgence in the prevalence in tattoos in the younger generation, they are also linked. The popular culture of the early twenty first century has made tattoos a ubiquitous product. Social media and the Internet ensure that images and comments about them are spread around the world exponentially. This in turn leads the core users of social media, the eighteen to thirty five year olds, want to express themselves, and for others to give in to peer pressure, and make the decision to get one. My opinion is that there may be a decline in their popularity once this generation ages, and they see that the once beautiful images that adorned their young bodies do not seem quite as attractive when their skin starts to wrinkle. It certainly is still a very painful way to make a fashion statement!