According to a 2006 survey conducted by Pew Research, 40 percent of Americans between the ages of 26 and 40 have at least one tattoo; 36 percent of those age 18-25 report having a tattoo.? Only 1 in 10 people older people have a tattoo.? (Only one person has a Freakonomics tattoo, as far as I know.)
These numbers are shocking to my economist brain.
Economists tend to like choices that are reversible.? Whatever my preferences might be today, who knows what they will be a week, a year, or a decade later?? I loved Adam Ant when I was in high school, but I sure am glad that I didn’t tattoo his name on my forearm.? The same would certainly hold with respect to tattooing the names of any of my ex-girlfriends on my chest.
So what makes tattoos so popular?
One possibility is that people just enjoy them for their intrinsic beauty, just as they might enjoy a work of art in a museum.? The frequency with which people get tattoos in places they can’t easily see (in particular the lower back), makes me think this isn’t the primary answer.
Rather, it would seem that the irreversibility of tattoos must be at the heart of their popularity.? The fact that tattoos are (essentially) permanent makes them very powerful signaling devices: the more costly it is to take an action, the more powerful the signal that action carries.? If I get tattoos on my face that look like the ones that Mike Tyson has, it sends a strong message to society about me.
Who are tattoo-getters trying to signal to?? Because tattoos are painful to get and close off some legitimate job-market opportunities, it isn’t hard to see why tattoos serve a purpose for people engaged in activities that make it likely they will eventually end up in prison.? Most of the young people getting tattoos, however, aren’t on that path.? Presumably they are mostly trying to signal something about themselves to potential mates.? But it seems strange that a University of Chicago undergrad would want to signal, via a tattoo, that they are like the tough guy who ends up in jail.? (An acquaintance of mine had a caduceus – the symbol of medicine – tattooed on his chest.? He definitely felt it sent the right kind of message to girls at the beach.? Just in case, though, he had it done all in blue ink, which is easier to remove.)
Maybe a tattoo is a signal that a person is wild, impulsive, and likes risk.? I suppose those are traits I once would have sought in a woman, although they certainly wouldn’t be at the top of my list now!
Blog readers – tell me what I am missing.? Is there a reason I should want a tattoo, or want my wife to have a tattoo?
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I have 4 small tattoos each representing something different to me. They are unique and personal. Expressions. Memories. Even desires. Everyone has a body, tattoos are a way I make mine unique.
I have the opinion that traditionally tattoos are tribal markings. However I never quite got why people got “tribal” tattoos. My brother has a different opinion, he thinks they are all ridiculous but if he had to get one it would be of a roll of paper towels because how is that any different than a snake wrapped around a skull or barbed wire. That being said, I have two tattoos that mark tribes that I believe I belong to. On my shoulder I have the quadratic formula since I am a math teacher (Tribe 1) and on my calf I have the Ironman symbol since I participate in Ironman Triathlons (Tribe 2).
Tattoos have baffled me also. They are a luxury item, so it shows we as a society are that much richer. I live in a ski town where a lot of locals dont have a ton of expendable income (these are workers employeed at the mountains and some fo the waiting jobs). Many (I would guess most) have some sort of tat however most them will cry all day about how little money they have. Thats the thing that always gets me about tattoos and smoking, many times its not the richest among us that expend the money on these luxury items.
I thought about it for three years before I got my tattoo. I chose someplace not visible in the workplace, and I chose a lotus, to symbolize my eventual path to enlightenment, as a visual reminder to be mindful every day, and to practice compassion. I did mine all in black, because colors can fade over time. I also got it done in NOLA, at Electric Ladyland, and it didn’t hurt that much. I did a lot of research before I did it, knew the risks, the pain factor as determined by location, etc.
I think a lot of people think of them as accessories now. But personally, I find many to be beautiful to look at, like a woman at my gym with a bracelet of lilacs, or my own lotus. I couldn’t have done it if the image didn’t mean something to me, because it is permanent.
I often visit my daughter in the hip Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY where many have all the tattoos they need but I suspect not all the tattoos they want. As they are artist types the work tends to be attractive and make some artistic sense and they seem to stick with genres and objects that mean something to them. This is the opposite of some athletes who look like human doodle pads. Every tattoo tells a story and people who have them are happy to tell you. If you want to do research, just start asking.
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The people I know who have real tattoos, not the little bitty ones that can’t be seen, have them because they reflect their internal issues.
I can give a legion of examples:
A farmer with vegetables tattooed on his arms. His issues are that he wasn’t trained as a farmer but as a scientist and now farming is his commitment and the tattoos show that.
The barista with the lily on her shoulder. Truth is that when you get to know her you realize that she’s often sad and the tattoo comes from the part of her that wants to be happy.
The accountant with Dante scenes on his back. He has deep problems with feelings of having betrayed his religious beliefs as well as a number of personal issues. You can guess what the tattoos represent.
The store manager with full sleeves inspired by Tolkien but not directly representative of the actual characters. Not hard to understand why and she knows it.
The soldier – really a marine and a soldier – who have the names of their units, injured men, etc. on their backs.
I could go on but whereas tattoos once were a way of marking your occupation or your particular lifestyle apart from the norm, now they are very often expressions of the self. Not celebrations necessarily but expressions of the turmoil, the hopes, etc. on the inside.
I got the 1st tat at 22 to show myself (no one else could see it easily) that I could do my own thing and be wild and a bit dangerous. I got the 2nd on my left shoulder to show it off: to myself and others (since no one could see the first one). It was more of a ‘I am STILL a bit wild and crazy, despite my suburban family life.’
Now I work for a church (glad it isn’t a devil or something!) and the tat that is visible gets some comment, but it’s one of the universal symbols for life (tree), so most people are surprised (esp. if they havn’t seen it before) but never (obviously) offended. I think they may think I’m a bit younger than I really am, too. Which is nice
I got my tattoo when I was 23; my reasons vary (I was into The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who are very tattooed; younger ladies seem too like “bad boys”) but looking back now, I think it was the hubris of youth: I was going to live and be cool forever-like my tattoo. I think a sense of permanence in an always fast changing world gives people an emotional as well as physical anchor. However, now that I’m 41, married, and work as a teacher, that anchor weighs a bit much. I’m glad my tat is virtually unseen (it’s on my hip), and a bit fun (it’s Mighty Mouse, saving the day). My advice: buy a box of Crackerjacks.