Pro/Con: Permanent regrets

May 22, 2009 • written by Abby Hammes, Opinion Editor  
Filed under Opinion

        Her backless shirt shows off the fresh black ink, surrounded by raised pink skin, between her shoulder blades. She walks proudly through the halls with students staring at the new work of art.

        “What does it mean?” a classmate asks her.

        “I don’t know,” she answers. “I just thought it was cool.”

        This is a scenario that plagues high schools everywhere. Teenagers with no sense of regret or remorse are hitting the tattoo parlors after spur-of-the-moment urges.

        Doing so only results in tattoos, piercings, brands, etc. that will stay with the student forever. However, the person’s acceptance and admiration for these tattoos may not last as long as the tattoos themselves.

        Some teens choose to get matching tattoos with their friends or with names of their boyfriends or girlfriends. Although this could be sentimental and meaningful at the time, it is entirely possible that friends will grow apart and relationships will fail.

        And when you’re stuck with the name of your jerk ex boyfriend scrawled across the small of your back, you’ll regret making that body-mutilating decision. Besides, tattooing someone’s name to your body is creepy and disgusting almost any way you swing it.

        In the same way, teens may get tattoos that represent something that is important to them. The problem with this is what’s important to you this year might not be important to you next year, in five years or in 20 years.

        On the other hand, teens often get tattoos that are simply meaningless. Girls like to get pretty tattoos of butterflies or flowers just because they can or feel like they should have a tattoo. However, these tattoos are cliché and worthless. Getting a tattoo like this only proves that you are shallow and unoriginal.

        What’s even worse is when teens get tattoos that have empty meanings. Getting a Bible verse or cross tattooed where everyone can see it when you actually aren’t an active member of your religion is a lie made to others and yourself. Tattoos should be a symbol of who you are, not who you want everyone to think you are.

        Although tattoos can sometimes be meaningful, tasteful and unique all while expressing who a person truly is, most teens sport the ink before they actually know who they are. Waiting until you’re older to head to the parlor is a much better decision.