"On Teenagers and Tattoos" The debate over whether it should be legal for teenagers to get tattoos has been a growing problem in today’s society. There are many reasons that a teenager would want to get a tattoo, whether it’s for a personal reason, or just to be different and stand out; there are reasons behind the tattoos that teens are getting today. There are many differing viewpoints on the topic. People can agree and disagree on whether it is good or bad, but there are good points for both sides of the argument. Dr. Andre Martin and Anne Lederberg take different viewpoints on this topic. Andres Martin wrote an article defending the reasons for teenagers to get tattoos saying that there is a meaning behind every tattoo and the teens aren’t just getting a tattoo for fun. The main reasons teens get tattoos are to become unique, different or to become a part of a group. Teenagers who get tattoos want to be different from the normal person, or join a specific group or society. Martin states in his article, “Seeking individualization, tattooed adolescents can become unambiguously demarcated from others and singled out as unique,” (Martin) stating that the teens only want to be viewed as unique with the tattoos that they get. Teens also like the idea of a tattoo because of its permanence. Many people who get tattoos do it for a personal reason, so that they will be reminded of the reason that they got the tattoo. There are some teens who have grown up in households or areas where getting tattoos is normal and acceptable. Tattoos, whether meant for art, or for a meaning, should not be judged by appearance, but rather viewed as another way to show something meaningful and personal to the owner. Young people use tattoos to express how... ... middle of paper ... ...ttoo, and Martin believes that the teens should be allowed to get a tattoo if there is a bigger meaning behind it. Martins viewpoint is more valid because there can be some deep meanings behind the tattoos that teens get. Lederberg’s viewpoint isn’t as valid because hers is based on the fact that the teen that will get a tattoo will not like it and have to endure the painful and expensive task of getting the tattoo removed. Works Cited: Martin, Andrés. “On Teenagers and Tattoos.” Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 36 (1997): 860-61. Rpt. Lederberg, Anne. "Marked for life: the science of tattoos may make you think before you ink." Science World 9 Mar. 1998: 8+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
His work has also made it possible for the non-conformists to know that their attitude towards tattoos is shallow and that in the near future, they are likely to also have tattoos because the rebelliousness is growing. The manner in which people have transformed and embraced the tattoo culture is also so strong that any negative comment against tattoos will be offensive to most people in the society. Brooks work has therefore achieved its aim of enabling people to understand that they have conformed to the tattooing culture.
Kosut, M. (2006). An Ironic Fad: The Commodification And Consumption Of Tattoos. The Journal of Popular Culture, 39(6), 1035-1048. Retrieved November 29, 2013, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2006.00333.x
Society has changed in many ways over the years; at one point tattoos were considered unprofessional and disgusting to most people, but today, they are quite common amongst young adults and people who enjoy art. Parents and people of many older generations, sometimes struggle to understand why this new interest in tattoos has been able to consume American culture so quickly. Prior to this boom of interest in tattoos, there were many horror stories that surrounded the subject due to unsanitary tools used and possible diseases a person could catch if a mistake was made. Lois Desocio is one of those adults who has struggled to understand tattoos, especially since her son Alec began to fill his body with them. As Alec’s collection of body art continues
Both authors have several tattoos and chose to get them for completely different reasons. Janes researched her first tattoo and appeared to have given it quite a bit of thought. Janes says, “Jessie and I got our first tats together to spice up our senior year at Catholic school” (73). Janes got her second tattoo a year after her first. “I simply made the decision right before the lower-back-tattoo trend took off” (73). She got her design from a friend’s T-shirt and decided that it would make a good tattoo that would represent a sweet-yet-bad girl image, or as Janes says “…the Sonic Youth-listening, beer swigging badass I also identified with” (73). Like most teens, Janes’ decision to get her tattoos appears to be a bit trivial and more for the sake of others than herself. Dolgoff’s reasons for getting her tattoos are quite different and she appears to have put much more thought...
Minors should be able to get tattoos and piercings without parental consent. Minors have their own mentality, body and thoughts. If a minor wants to decorate their body, then they should have that right to do so, regardless of any other opinions. Minors should be able to make their own decisions with their bodies to learn consequences and lessons or they can show off and be proud of it. Parents should be supportive of their children expressing themselves, but of course, support them safely.
But some teenagers maybe want to be like their parents some day. Also in the article it says, “ No matter if you say no to your kids/ teenagers for getting a tattoo they will still go get one because they think they don't have to listen to you because to them you're not the boss of what they do.
Many people have been getting tattoos lately. People of all ages have been getting them and from all different backgrounds. On a nice day in just about any public place one can spot a tattoo about every five minutes, from the business man who had a portrait of his daughter put on him to a young girl with a butterfly on her ankle and even people with extensive tattoo coverage. What is even more interesting is the rise in the number of people who are heavily tattooed and that they come from all different backgrounds. Not too long ago tattooing did not experience the popularity in mainstream culture that it does now. The question that must be asked in order to understand this fascination that popular culture has had with tattoos is why people get tattoos.
Post, R. S. (1968). Relationship of tattoos to personality disorders. J. Crim. L. Criminology & Police Sci., 59, 516.
A persons’ image is vital when meeting someone for the first time. Our peers, employers, family, superiors, even strangers that you walk past can automatically judge someone, and imagine how they present themselves to the world. Tattoos have been predominantly linked with a rebellious attitude and pictured on out of control stereotypes such as rock starts, bikers, sailors, and disobedient teenagers who want nothing more than to hack off their parents. With a new coming of age generation and a step into a more lenient and liberal society these types of patrons still participate in body art but so do doctors, lawyers, or just the run of the mill house mom. Tattoos signify religious beliefs, cultural influence, or each individual’s sole style. Body art is no longer socially offensive, employers are more apt to hiring tatted hopeful applicants, parents are warming up to the idea of their children inking their body and no longer a stranger on the street with a tattoo is necessarily prejudged as a criminal or safety hazard. Tattoos have become more evolved over the years because they have become more of a socially accepted element of the general public.
“The impact on the world today through the history and visual reasoning behind tattoos, lead to the inquiry of personal life changing experiences.
Since most people do not experience body modifications like piercing with stainless steel, wood, or bone rings in the face, ears, genitals, or other places. They also have not experienced branding or burning or scarification. Since the a majority of people have not experience extreme body modifications, they assume that there is something wrong with those that do take part in these body modifications and usually think the worst of them. Martin found that previous research that showed that several stereotypes about people with tattoos are unsuccessful in school, they come from broken homes, had an unhappy childhood. They also rarely attend church, they make poor decisions in life. They also think that the people that get body modifications while intoxicated and are easy to give in to peer
Tattoos are a controversial subject in the world we live in. The kind of people that get tattoos is now varied to almost all humans regardless of race, religion, or age. What many people fail to understand or realize is how much of an effect a tattoo can have on the rest of your life. The original tattoo stereotypes have faded from what they were many years ago and yet tattoos still have a reputation as for what kind of people get tattoos. There are many reasons as to why people would get a tattoo but there are many reason why you should think before you ink. Our society and the social media today has a huge impact on the tattoo industry. Movie stars and pop singers with many tattoos are posing as role models for our generation and
Laumann, Anne E., and Amy J. Derick. "Tattoos and Body Piercings in the United States: a
Minors should not be allowed to have a tattoo or a piercing without parents permission because minors are victims of the bandwagon effect,they don’t know the consequences of getting a tattoo or a piercing,and they often merely idolize their favorite artist,actors,or musicians with their tattoos and piercings.It has occured by parents and other adults that minors need to be more aware about the consequences of getting a tattoo or a piercing because they are too young to even think about getting a tattoo or a
...ng it. Not to say that tattoos and piercings are a bad thing, but when teens choose to get one, they don’t think of the consequences they might have.