On Teenagers and Tattoos
The Impact on Society of Teenage Tattooing
The Impact on Society of Teenage Tattooing
Does the tattoo define the person, or does the person define the tattoo? In modern society tattoos are widely accepted except when applied to the skin of an adolescent. Adolescents with tattoos face judgment from a variety of people such as authoritative figures, parents, and their peers. This article (On Teenagers and Tattoos, by Andres Martin, MD.) provides examples of how society views adolescents with tattoos.
Tattoos are something we see on people on an everyday basis, but on adolescents, it is not very common. Many adults believe that those in the younger generation sometimes get tattoos to enrage affronts to their authority. Parents in general do not approve of their children decorating their bodies with modifications such as tattoos because of their irreversible and permanent nature. Like makeup, fashion or hairstyles tattoos can also be just another way to fit in with their peers. When given the chance it is important to understand the motivations and significance of a tattoo before making an erroneous judgment. Tattooing is a way of fitting into a peer group or expressing one’s own individuality. Adolescents often turn to tattooing as a way to take back some control of their evolving bodies as well as their lives. When an adolescent feels that there is a lack of stability in his life (such as divorce, abandonment, and repeated family relocations) he may feel that getting a tattoo may return a sense of control and stability into his life. Adolescents are often influenced by peers to get a tattoo but do not put any thought into its permanence or how they may feel about it in the future. Author Andres Martin says “The frequency of self-made tattoos among hospitalized, incarcerated, or gang-affiliated youth suggests such motivations: a sense of stability may be a particularly dire need under temporary, turbulent or volatile conditions.” In every argument there
The Impact on Society of Teenage Tattooing
Does the tattoo define the person, or does the person define the tattoo? In modern society tattoos are widely accepted except when applied to the skin of an adolescent. Adolescents with tattoos face judgment from a variety of people such as authoritative figures, parents, and their peers. This article (On Teenagers and Tattoos, by Andres Martin, MD.) provides examples of how society views adolescents with tattoos.
Tattoos are something we see on people on an everyday basis, but on adolescents, it is not very common. Many adults believe that those in the younger generation sometimes get tattoos to enrage affronts to their authority. Parents in general do not approve of their children decorating their bodies with modifications such as tattoos because of their irreversible and permanent nature. Like makeup, fashion or hairstyles tattoos can also be just another way to fit in with their peers. When given the chance it is important to understand the motivations and significance of a tattoo before making an erroneous judgment. Tattooing is a way of fitting into a peer group or expressing one’s own individuality. Adolescents often turn to tattooing as a way to take back some control of their evolving bodies as well as their lives. When an adolescent feels that there is a lack of stability in his life (such as divorce, abandonment, and repeated family relocations) he may feel that getting a tattoo may return a sense of control and stability into his life. Adolescents are often influenced by peers to get a tattoo but do not put any thought into its permanence or how they may feel about it in the future. Author Andres Martin says “The frequency of self-made tattoos among hospitalized, incarcerated, or gang-affiliated youth suggests such motivations: a sense of stability may be a particularly dire need under temporary, turbulent or volatile conditions.” In every argument there