By Paige Haddas
April 13, 2025
An inked frog sits on my forearm surrounded by some runner ducks, a maple leaf and a bushel of baby’s breath. They are etched into my skin forever, and without the intervention of a high-powered laser, they will be with me for the rest of my life. At this point, you’re probably wondering, “what is so special about these silly little flora and fauna?” What beautiful symbolism or significant life event caused me to want them on my body forever?
There is none. My tattoos have no meaning.
This might be shocking to read, considering tattoos can be a very controversial permanent addition to one’s body. Getting inked has been associated with imprisonment, piracy and gangs (the Canada Border Services Agency even created a guide to gang tattoos in 2008), but with the recent decline of this taboo, tattoos are on the rise. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, around one-third of American adults have at least one tattoo, and younger generations are leading the charge. Only 13% of Americans over 65 have any ink, but over 40% of those under the age of 50 have a tattoo.
Dr. David Lane, a tattoo researcher and historian, explains this explosion in popularity as a direct response to the demystifying of tattooing that took place right as Gen X was born: “tattooers with art degrees such as Cliff Raven and Ed Hardy, ‘were largely responsible for revamping some of the public imagery of tattooing in the ’60s and ’70s. In fact, initial tattoo conventions were actually about trying to create a kind of professional image.’”
Gen X and most Millennials have experienced the stigma of tattoos slowly declining their entire life, but Gen Z is the first in the modern era to enter a world where tattoo taboo seems to only exist in the workplace. A study by Advanced Dermatology reports that 73% of Americans like tattoos, but there’s a catch: 76% of people believe that visible tattoos harm a candidate’s chances during a job interview.
Around two-thirds of inked adults cited improving their personal appearance as a reason for at least one of their tattoos. With less stigma, tattoos have become a very viable pathway for self-expression, which has made way for the “meaningless” tattoo — that is to say, a piece of ink without a specific explanation tied to the piece.
Blake Vandenbrink, a music student at Michigan State, has four tattoos, three of which have a symbolic meaning, but the fern leaf sprawling across his arm is there simply because he “wanted it.” The leaf was beautiful, so he decided to have it tattooed. Azriel Wotton, a psychology and art student, has a similar story. Most of his tattoos don’t have a story behind them, but they “relate to an interest or personal source of joy… [the tattoos] are reminders of happiness.”
Now, I may have been lying a little bit earlier when I said my ink doesn’t mean anything. My tattoos are incredibly important to me, and I put a lot of effort into deciding what I want to put on my body, but most of them don’t have a specific story. I have a lot of “flash” pieces, pre-designed artwork made by the tattoo artist, because I enjoy the style of the artists who tattoo me. My arm is like an art museum where I display my favorite designs made by artists I admire.
I even find that my tattoos can take on new meanings as I live with them. When I first got my frog tattoo, I didn’t have any specific memories that made me want a frog specifically, but right after I got the tattoo, I went on a camping trip with some friends. On that trip, we hiked on South Manitou Island during a horrible black fly season. The flies covered our legs in a thick sheet while we were on the coast, but the second we entered the forest, they seemed to magically disappear. Their sudden absence was confusing until we heard a symphony of croaking. I had never seen so many frogs in my life, and their presence felt like a miracle. Now, every time I look down at my arm, I think about that trip.
Ultimately, tattoos don’t have to have a specific meaning to be important to someone. With fewer restrictions on the workplace and more acceptance from American culture, tattoos have become a new pathway of self-expression. Maybe the silly little guys on my arm don’t have a story to tell yet, but eventually, they will.
Paige Haddas is a senior studying professional and public writing with a minor in graphic design. She loves art museums, national parks and the library.