The Social Impact Of Tattoos For Minors

Tattoos and teenagers. Both can be seen as reckless and perhaps even a sign of rebellion. However, tattoos have become so popular and is now considered a new trend in today’s society as they are seen everywhere. Why are tattoos seen as trendy now a days?Teens are introduced to tattoos by seeing them on someone’s skin, in magazines, in stores, in ads, or maybe just walking down a street and seeing a tattoo parlor. Andres Martin’s importance in writing this article is to inform parents about why tattoos get teenagers as well as his psychiatrist friends and how tattoos help to get to know their patients better. He also tries to open up people’s minds on just why exactly teenagers get tattoos as they are not only a current fad, but also have to

The rising popularity of tattoos and body piercing is more than just the latest fashion craze. This type of body art has been a part of this world for thousands of years. Tattoos and piercings have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment (Smithsonian.com). In the later years (1940 – 2000) tattoos and piercings were more common among teenagers and young adults, but now, people of all ages are expressing themselves through body art. To try and understand this rise in the desire to permanently mark ones self, we must first determine the origin and history of tattoos and piercings.

Before one can truly understand the stance of an argument, you have to understand the topic. After carefully reviewing reliable resource it was discovered that the art of tattooing can easily be dated back to the 4th millennium BC (Before the Common Era) mummified bodies discovered in ancient Egypt. Archeologists found themselves identifying tribes as well as historical information the marking and body tattooing. It became clear and concise that ancient rulers would brand their bodies to inform others of their rank and accomplishments, whereas other royal family alleged that tattoos meant magical talents. On the other hand, tattoos replicate a standout amongst the most trustworthy known categories of communication.

“The nicest people I have ever met are covered in tattoos, while the most judgment people that I have met are the once who don’t have tattoos” (Earl Dibbles). When someone sees a person with a bunch of tattoos, maybe the first thing that comes to their mind is Thug, stupid, thief, or maybe even crazy. Judging a person off of first feeling with tattoos can lead to false allegation and potentially hurt a person’s feelings. Tattoos have existed since the beginning of civilization and although widespread now, there are still misconceptions about them. I have come across many people with tattoos, especially my friend which is MMA fighter; his name is Nasratullah Akhunzada. He has a bunch of tattoos on his body. First of all, he loses his job cause of his tattoos

The article “On Teenagers and Tattoos,” by Andres Martin is an expository article examining the psychological positions of teenagers on tattoos, which have become a “battleground” between adults and teenagers who are in a stage of development (para. 1). The audience that Andres Martin addresses are child psychiatrists who are making an attempt of understanding how tattoos help adolescents identify themselves. The audience, being people with professional studies, would expect for Andres Martin’s work to be thoroughly researched providing a strong sense of knowledge. The expectations of the audience would also include, for the article to be based primarily on facts with supporting evidence. I believe the author was able to meet the expectations,

Tattoos have been around since 450 BC, it was used to mark the criminals and those fallen from social grace. But since then or since the Europeans discovered the “New World” and the tattooed tribes, its concepts has changed many times. You could classify the different changes in six eras in the tattoo history; the colonist or pioneer Era, the circus or carnival Era, the working-class era, the rebel era, the new age era and presently the supermarket era. The colonist or pioneer era was between the 1760s and 1870s is when the Europeans discovered tattoos amongst Native American tribes such as Hawaiians and Borneans whose tattoos had spiritual meaning, it was a way to protect themselves from physical harm and snakebite. But after their introduction with the Europeans

For a women who died without such tattoos, it was believed that she would not be recognized by her parents in the afterlife. Tattoos also signified a person of high status. In 450 BC the greeks wrote that among the scythians and thracians, “tattoos were a mark of nobility, and not to have them was testimony of low birth”.

Tattoos have been dated back to 5000 BCE. Tattoos have played the role of being badges of honor, ceremonial markings, signs off social rank, forms of punishment, and of course ways for people to beautify themselves (The Cultural History of Tattoos). Over the past years, tattoos has increased and continues to increase significantly in popularity. According to statistics, 36% of American adults in the U.S. between the ages of 18-25 and 40% of American adults in the U.S. between the ages of 26-40 have at least one tattoo (Seth). While the trend of getting tattoos are increasing, the concerns of the employers starts to increase. People who have tattoos should not be discriminated because it is unethical, a form of self-expression, and art.

In his article, Martin first sets the stage by eliminating possible arguments made against why tattoos on teenagers have gone too far, and then he outlines the uneven relationship society has on a young person’s mind and draws a comparison to the larger identity issue of why teenagers result to decorating themselves. Martin continues by discussing some of the reasons that adults do not agree with their children piercing or tattooing: oppositional and enraging affronts to authority. Possible solutions to the problem, martin suggests, include

Egypt of 5000 years ago utilized tattoos to show an important individual. It was brought over to the West by US Sailors traveling to the Philippians. It's not necessarily a good stereotype, since as it's been stated, the idea of tattooing comes from far more than just troublemakers in any country. It has historical and cultural significance all over the world.

The tattoo is a very old form of body modification, but in spite of that there is still a certain rejection towards those who carry them in a visible area of the body, for some it disfigures what has been created in the image and likeness of God while for others associates this with convicts or gang members mainly because they were one of the first groups to use tattoos to differentiate themselves from the rest of society. But also it is true that there is a very limited understanding about this corporal modification that could be one of the reasons why it can not be appreciated as for how it should be. However, modern society reflects the current popularity of tattooing because it has acquired an entirely artistic meaning to a social expression and a way of identity.

For many teenagers across the nation, tattoos act as a major sign of hope or a sense of permanency. Tattoos can reflect a belief, or publicize a sense of control over one’s own body (Blair, 2007). Andres Martin wrote a paper to share a sense of imagery with readers. Andres Martin was said to be a wise author with neutral views on the matter of teens and their tattoos. This paper was mainly aimed towards people in the world who were trying to get a real grip and understanding on the frequent teenager’s mind set. The author was aiming the paper at teachers, child psychiatrist, and even doctors, many parents still sought after this source to try and perceive the significance of permanently inking part of one’s body. The up and coming generation has become more tuned into tattoos than ever before. Andres Martin expressing personal viewpoints in Teenagers and Tattoos permits the reader to see eye to eye with teenagers by employing understandable comparisons, explaining logic to tattoos, and share the relief and aid that these tattoos convey to young adolescents.

When you think of social issues there are many that come to mind ,but there is one that though it effects many is overlooked. That issue is the acceptance of tattoos into our main stream culture. Tattoos actually have a very long history in our culture but in the past, was concentrated in small out of the way pockets of society like the military and criminals. This has slowly started to change and tattoos have started to make their way into the commonplace. This transition into an age of acceptance is not only moral move but a logical one, this claim can be justified with the with deep traditional roots and personal experience that tattoos hold for the people that adorn their skin with them.

Facial tattoos where common in the past centuries however, they no longer are seen in today’s society. They were used as a sign of power and authority but, today’s society has changed the meaning of facial tattoos. The hegemonic society has labeled facial tattoos as deviant, and those who have a facial tattoo are placed into a subculture. “Tattooing is the most established form of non-mainstream body art in the west, having been practiced by modern Europeans and Americans for centuries” (Pitts 5). Today many more people are receiving tattoos on their bodies to represent something significant to them. Society has ruled it ok to have tattoos placed anywhere on the body except for the face or top of neck region. Many people though, do not

Tattoos are becoming a popular phenomenon that is seen everywhere. Today’s youth are getting permanent tattoos to be cool and trendy, but are not considering the long-term effects. Teenagers should be aware of all that body modification may include, it is not just a pretty picture. Adolescences must consider the dangers and conscientious result of attaining diseases, being underage, and having a permanent mark on their body.