Tattoos in high school, impulsive or art?

As a senior, I have seen my peers grow along with me throughout my years as a student. This year, I have seen many of my childhood friends get tattoos, and I even have one myself. Many, however, have a negative stigma around tattoos, specifically around high schoolers with tattoos.

In a poll of over 90 BHS students, 78 percent said they either have a tattoo or want one in the near future. Of those who said they had tattoos, 56 percent said they have one tattoo, 27 percent said they have two to three, and 17 percent said they have four or more.

It becomes legal for someone to get a tattoo on their own when they turn 18. This means that many students pull the trigger on getting a tattoo when they turn 18 in their senior year. Some see these decisions as impulsive and stupid, but many have good reasons for getting tattoos and have tattoos with significant meaning.

“I decided to get it because the semi-colon represents suicide awareness. And the ‘breathe’ part is something I used to write on myself as my sort of motivation and to calm myself down. So, I decided it was the right type and meaningful tattoo,” senior Maria Thompson said.

There are many ideas about tattoos and the people who have them, with many thinking that those who have tattoos may be poor decision-makers or impulsive people.

When asked if they thought tattoos were indicative of who a person was, 71 percent said they didn’t think so, and only 29 percent said they were.

“It’s impulsive and poor decision-making. I don’t feel like a lot of my peers understand that ink is on their body the rest of their lives,” one BHS student said.

“You can tell who’s just getting them to get them and who appreciates art or has meaning for their tattoos,” another student said.

The Brownsburg students’ responses are likely largely indicative of the next generation’s thoughts on tattoos. Most of today’s teens don’t think much of tattoos and see them more as an artistic choice than a mistake made impulsively.