How has technology taken tattoos into the future you ask? Well look no further.
Simply stated, technology has improved the overall image of tattoos and in turn has made those wanting to get a tattoo, their decision much easier. The tattooing industry has taken the world by storm and I believe a large part of their success has to do with the present day popularity of technology. The equipment within the tattoo industry has remained the same for so many years and has now seen more changes in the past few years than ever before which is due to the greater demand within the industry. Tattoo artists obviously want the very best tools to complete their jobs to the highest of standards with as much detail as possible, and are more willing to spend more money on products which would ensure this. The only way this has become possible is through the high level of popularity for tattoos and the idealisation for tattoos in the media.
Part of this technology is Social Media, and Social Media platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram have had the most impact on the tattooing industry. The sudden surge in popularity meant that the tattooing industries with accounts on Social Media, could advertise their business to anyone else who has an account on the social media platforms. The fact that the general public could book an appointment online within minutes, meant the whole process got a lot easier and therefore, more successful. The turnover of clients was faster than ever, and thanks to Instagram, the tattoo artists could share their work in the form of a picture in less than 30 seconds.
As for Pinterest, the platform is notorious for sharing images online with the purpose to inspire others. Pinterest has really helped the tattooing industry this way, as anyone from anywhere can share a picture of a tattoo they have and in turn, someone else completely different can take that picture to their tattoo artist and get it there and then. This proves that technology and Social Media have changed the game completely.
The success of the tattoo industry also was influenced by the presence of celebrity tattoos on many social media platforms. Nowadays, it could be said that it is harder to find a popular, relevant celebrity who hasn’t got a tattoo, rather than one who has. Ariana Grande has 47 known tattoos, Harry Styles has 54 known tattoos and Post Malone has 52 known tattoos. Each of these celebrities are relevant and present in every day media coverage, meaning that those who pay attention on Social Media, are open to this. This arguably has had an impact, especially on Gen Z, as the modern celebrities are plastered over all social media, on billboards and on television shows, all of which are heavily involved in their lives. According to a recent study, members of Gen Z are more active on social media by a large amount. This can be seen in the graph provided.
However, not all people of the public are in support of the tattooing industry and tattoos in general. In a nutshell, it could be argued, that the older you are the less tolerant you become regarding tattoos. In a recent survey, unsurprisingly, people aged 18-25 were the most accepting and supportive of the sudden rise in tattoos, especially tattoos in the workplace. With only 22% with the opinion that they are inappropriate in the office. That percentage doubles as we reach the age group of 60+, with a regressive view, finding tattoos objectionable at work. There is a correlation here, between the generations who use technology (who are more likely to accept tattoos) and those who don’t use social media as frequently, such as the Baby Boomer generation, (who are less likely to accept tattoos).
It could be said that the younger generations such as Gen Z and Gen Y are more supportive of the popularity of tattoos, as they are more likely to have a progressive attitudes towards society. To support this, a fairly quick survey executed by LinkedIn and Twitter revealed that not one person who took part saw tattoos with negative connotations in the workplace, nor did they claim there were any work roles where tattoos would be deemed an issue.
