Close your eyes and imagine your ideal tattoo. Maybe it’s a unicorn on your ankle? Perhaps it’s a bluebird on your back or a sleeve of dragons on your arm. But for a lot of us, it’s nada at all. For many, nothing feels important or permanent enough to have it branded on our bodies. Studies are showing this could be generational.
On a recent viral Threads post, a person with the handle @2partywithparis asks, “I have a question for Generation-X people. A Google search indicates that approximately 68% of Gen-X-ers never got a tattoo. If this is you, please explain why you never inked your personal canvas.”
Many Millennials love tats
It turns out, according to somewhat recent statistics, that Gen X (and Baby Boomers and Gen Z, for that matter) has been less likely to get inked than Millennials, at least in the U.S. The Statista Research Department notes: “According to recent surveys conducted in the United States, tattoos were common the most among Millennials. Indeed, only 57 percent of young adults declared not to have any tattoos. Millennials represent that part of the population born between the beginning of the 1980s and the half 1990s.”
As for other generations, they share that 87 percent of Boomers, 77 percent of Gen Z and just over 67 percent of Gen X have no tats.
In a slightly more recent Pew Research study, they add that more women than men have at least one tattoo. And that, yes, younger generations (especially Millennials) seem drawn to those ink needles. (Interestingly, their research also notes, “There are no major differences by political party or whether Americans live in an urban, suburban or rural community.”)
Gen X responds
The aforementioned Threads post focused on gleaning answers from Gen X in particular. Gen X-ers did not disappoint. Four thousand people commented on the post and their answers were clear and, honestly, quite funny.
Some commenters just have issues with branding decisions. “Vintage ’73 here and no tattoos. Nothing against them, just have commitment issues… Could never think of a design I’d want for the rest of my life.”
Commitment issues
Another shares, “I have trouble committing to a paint color for my bedroom. I could never commit to a tattoo. I love them on other people, though.”
This Threader agrees, writing, “I can’t commit to window treatments. I’ve been in my house for almost 11 years and just hung curtains in the den.”
Others blamed it on financial issues, and then carried a bit of resentment for those who could never pick up the check but could get tigers tatted on their calves. “Too much money. Pay rent. Get groceries. Go on a trip or get some ink. I had a boyfriend who never had money to take me out, but he had $200 to add to his sleeve tattoo. I am not against tattoos. I have cool friends with cool tattoos that they got for cool reasons, but he made me a bit bitter for a time. And I think when it came to what I was going to spend money on, that was never going to be it.”
“Maybe when I retire.”
For some, it was a choice based on appearances and how it might affect them in the corporate world. Though, never say never. “Late Gen-X here… I have wanted a specific one for like 40 years, but I’m an MBA working in the corporate world, and I always thought it might prevent me from getting jobs or promotions. Maybe when I retire.”
The theme of “maybe someday” was prevalent in the comments. “I always thought about getting one. I would get excited about a design (oooh, Celtic armband!) but then look around and realize it wasn’t exactly a unique idea. And now suddenly I’m 52 and still no tattoos. Maybe someday a perfect inspiration will strike?”
And this person finally decided what tattoo to get, but in typical Gen X fashion, it might take them a while to actually do it. “56 and I only just figured out what I might want done. Will likely take me another decade to get around to it.”
