TATTOOS & PIERCINGS

The UE team

A short trip into the history, growing of popularity, meaning and connection to adolescents

•When did piercings and tattoos start to become popular?

•How is tattoing connected to other artistic expressions?

•How are teenagers related to tattoos?

•Is piercing and tattooing a way of asking for recognition?

Why do people get tattoos?

•Rebellion: Years ago, having a tattoo marked a person as an outsider, someone who did not play by the rules. •Rites of passage: A ceremony or event that marks a change or turning point in someone’s life.•Love: Having the names of their loved ones tattooed on their skin.•Sadness: A tattoo can be done to remember a sad event.•No significance! People don’t always have a reason for getting a tattoo done other than it looked good or felt right.

Tattooing and its connection to other artistic expressions

•Music: People can get passionate with their favorite artists and want to be like them. In order to express their admiration, they get tattoos of symbols or lyrics that stand for their favorite band or music style.

•Fashion: People don’t always get tattoos that stand up for something, sometimes they just find it stylish.

•Painting: Many artists focus on making tattoo artwork.

When did tattoos start to become popular?

• Tattoos started to grow in popularity during the 1990’s, when people of both sexes, all social and economical classes and all age groups got tattoos. Remember that before that time, tattoos were a symbol of low social status and were therefore considered to be an anti-social activity.

• Since the 2000’s tattoos are considered to be a fashion trend.

Is adolescence the right time to decide to have a tattoo and what are important things to consider

before getting one?

This expression is usually a short lived phase, so there are many issues that should be considered before an adolescent decides

to get a tattoo.

What to consider:• It is just a trend that may

fade away with time.• People may view him

differently and react with discrimination as not everyone is cool with tattoos.

• There is a great health risk (allergies, infections, bleeding).

• Blood donation cannot be made for a year after getting the tattoo.

• Tattoo removal is very expensive and hurts more than getting a tattoo.

• Healing time varies from weeks up to year.

Do tattoos stand up for something or do adolescents fancy them only

because they are “cool”?

•Tattoos are a form of self-expression.•They are a means of marking ourselves in a society that fosters.•It is a means of asserting mastery and control over our bodies in a phase that the only constant is change.•For some, it is the rush of adrenaline in a moment of physical pain.

How do tattoos affect the social

image of an adolescent?

•There are companies where visible tattoos are against company policy.•Sometimes you can’t work in one of the more conservative business sectors.•Better be safe than cited.

Is piercing and tattooing a way of asking for recognition?

Sociologists who study tattoing and piercing think of these acts as a way of self-expression.

However, they are sure that for young people, tattooing is a way to confirm their indepence and to show that they have control over their bodies.

Also, some researchers believe that the main motivation for all types of body art (tattooing, piercing) is rebellion.

Last but not least, tattoos and piercings are symbols that reflect memories and experiences that express what a person has lived through.

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