In years previous tattoos have been associated with people who aren’t necessarily in the social center, such as prisoners. This is partly why there was so much stigma behind people getting tattoos. Most people never appreciate the art in its entirety, they just thought they were bad.

Why have tattoos become part of modern culture? The boom of the tattoo industry can be credited to TV, social media, and millennials. In 2005 the show "Miami Ink" came out, and the show now has produced six seasons. This isn’t the only show that has been revolved around the tattoo industry. There is also "Ink Master," "Bad Ink," "LA Ink," the list goes on and on. So many people watch these shows, and they see the beautiful tattoos that artists have the ability to create. It teaches people to respect the art that people put on their bodies.

Social media has also become a huge part of modern culture. This has hugely helped out the tattoo industry. Artists have the ability to put their artwork all over the internet, including on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and more. This allows even more people to see and appreciate their artwork. Artists can develop more of a fan base because more people see how beautiful their artwork can be, once again giving tattoos more respect. People who receive tattoos often times post picture of their new ink, showing how many people actually get tattoos in modern culture. The majority of people I meet in college have at least one tattoo and if they don’t, they want one.

In our age group of millennials, there has been a huge boom of tattoos in pop culture. It isn’t uncommon for people in our age group to get a tattoo before the age of 18. People of our age group are generally more accepting of tattoos because so many of us have them. Unlike before, when tattoos were associated with people who weren’t in the social center. With the numbers of people with tattoos growing daily they have become more socially acceptable.

This brings up the question, what about tattoos in the work place? It is my opinion that by the time our age group is going to be applying for full time high end jobs, tattoos will be accepted by the majority of work places. Even today they have become more widely accepted in work places, although there is a limit to the appropriate placement and content. It blows my mind that people can completely change their view on a person if they find out they have a tattoo, and that in 2016 that is still an issue.

Whether a person has tattoos or not, this does not affect their personality, morals or work ethic, contrary to the previous belief that is now disappearing thanks to modern culture. The tattoo industry is a form of art. Many people put meaningful and beautiful tattoos on their body, that represent some of their best memories, family, friends, quotes, and much more. Some of the most beautiful pieces of artwork I have seen have been tattoos.