Tattoos has been found more popular among young people recently. Why is it so? What are your views? Write a blog entry, with the title “Tattoo? Mmm…”.
Tattoo? Mmm…
People love the objects that they reckon adorable and significant. But… what if that object is being permanently crafted on the skin? After two weeks of silence, this time, as always, I’m focusing on another pop culture that has intrigued me recently. With more and more fellow teenagers being progressively open-minded at this ‘Age of Blending Culture’, tattoo has been gaining its popularity among young people. Last time, when I had a reunion with my buddies, to my surprise, most of them had already gotten themselves inked and it’s very keen of them to show me their coloured skin. Just for a moment, I wondered if I lagged behind in this booming trend of getting a tattoo.
Having a tattoo on one’s skin was once a taboo in the Chinese community, and Hong Kong was no exception. It’s undoubtedly an amazement that such a socially disapproved stigma will thrive from the rock bottom. What exactly is the magic behind the drastic change?
To probe into this interesting phenomenon, I should begin with the external factors. Being tattooed in fact originated from the western countries. While it was rarely common in Hong Kong before, it couldn’t be denied that it is always a norm in the West. Just have a look at the western celebrities. Many of them, ranging from rock stars, movie stars to football players, get at least one tattoo. With the advent of the media industry, this western culture is blended into our own, posing a huge influence on our young adults. As the media constantly gives compliments to the looks of western celebrities, including their tattoos, our young people are likely to emulate what they do.
Adding to this is the peer pressure experienced by our young people. The majority of young people care a lot about how their peers view them. Highly praised by the media, the culture propagates at a staggering rate with the aid of peer pressure. In a word, if the media is the source of fire, peer pressure is the fuel.
The external factors above play a vital role, but the inner thoughts of the teens themselves are not to overlook. Teenagers are always seeking ways to be unique, showing their personality and identity. On the other hand, they don’t prefer blatant differences from others. Getting inked just serves as a subtle way to express individuality and discard the stereotypes. Maybe that’s why the tattoos I usually see are of small sizes and characterized designs.
Well, I’m not a very conservative person. To me, getting a tattoo is just something neutral. As long as it does people no harm, it’s up to them to choose whether to get inked or not. Nonetheless, I would also like to highlight something important. There’s no going back once people put on the images, so I think it’s wise not to get a tattoo on impulse. Some football players craft the names of their family members onto their skin solely because the family is the integral part of their life. Occasionally, I did encounter some grown-up adults who would reduce to tears when flashing back the immature and foolish act of getting coloured. One should really spend time pondering before deciding on the life-long issues; otherwise, there will only be endless regret and grudge.
The second part is about the career matter. Some professional occupations like doctors and teachers focus on people’s qualification, as well as the appearance. Sometimes, merely getting a small tattoo puts people in a great disadvantage in term of career choices.
To me, I’d rather stay away from any tattoos though being criticized as old-fashioned. How about you? Do you have any insights regarding the trend?
That’s all for now. Let’s discuss another stunning yet controversial pop culture next time.
Tsang Hoi Ming Harry
6E 2015-16