Shine OnHow tattoos have become mainstream and less taboo
Those who sport body artistry for the world to see are growing in numbers. New research suggests tattoos have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, particularly among the millennial generation who entered adulthood in the 2000s.
A New York Times article points to the trend by highlighting how tattoos are peaking out under business casual clothes in office environments.
Also see: Topless photo of breast cancer survivor’s chest tattoo goes viral
Indeed, you are not the only person surprised to see the nerdy 26-year-old photocopy guy in your office get a tattoo.
"It’s clear that tattoos are no longer the sole province of gang members, garage mechanics, guys who are admirably confident that they will have the same girlfriend forever and Hollywood outliers like Angelina Jolie and Lena Dunham," reads the New York Times story.
Twenty-three per cent of Americans have a tattoo, and 38 per cent of millennials aged 18-29 have at least one tattoo, shows a Pew Research poll from 2010.
By comparison, the survey showed 32 per cent of people aged 30 to 45 had at least one tattoo, and only 15 per cent of baby boomers had body art.
Also see: What does a lower-back tattoo really suggest to men?
As for Canada, similar patterns can be seen here. A CBC article discusses how tattoo shops are popping up everywhere in the Toronto area.
Lizzie Renaud, owner of Speakeasy Tattoo, tells the broadcaster that a decade ago there were approximately 15 shops in the city. Now, a Yellow Pages search brings up over 40 results for Toronto tattoo businesses.
"Kids are also growing up with parents who are more tattooed than the generation before, so there are different social values at home," says University of Toronto sociology professor Michael Atkinson, author of Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a Body Art.
Artists and clients say the popular perception of tattoo culture is moving away from deviant behaviour and into a serious art form.
What are your thoughts on the mainstream acceptability of tattoos? Have you noticed a greater number of people who are inked?
