Inking up

Both tattoos and piercings have become more popular, but are still frowned upon

As I sat in class and started to look around at everyone, one person caught my attention.

I didn’t know him at all, or even his name, but the first thing I noticed was the tattoos covering his arm. What did they mean and why did he have them?

As I sat longer, I started to think more about how society accepts tattoos and body piercings. I have never seen anything wrong with them. I mean, one of my best friends has her septum and lip done. It’s your body and you should be able to do whatever you want with it, right?

Tattoos and piercings have become more and more popular. Everywhere I go I tend to see at least one or two people with a tattoo or earring, if not both.

It seems as if it is becoming more and more socially acceptable. But is it? Are you honestly going to get a job with a giant piece of metal in your mouth or a huge red dragon down your arm? The fact is you probably won’t. Unfortunately, walking around with those will make people look at you differently. It shouldn’t be this way, but we can’t fix everyone’s views.

The older generations, meaning our grandparents, tend to frown upon it even more. I have even heard a person of this generation say, “People judge your intelligence by how many tattoos you have.”

There is another issue people have with getting these kind of things done: money. It costs hundreds of dollars for a mid-size tattoo. It can cost around $50 for a body piercing. Most people don’t have money to blow, at least not a college student.

But, if you tell someone you’re getting a tattoo for personal reasons, as a remembrance tattoo or such, is it now acceptable? Most likely, it is.

I guess it all depends how you look at it. You might look at it differently than the next person. I say it’s your body and do what you want with it. n