Wondering how to guess someone’s age? Just take a look at their tattoos.
Influencer Jenna Barclay, 37, recently sparked a heated debate with her claim that the placement of a person’s tattoos can reveal their age. She pointed out that specific tattoo locations were popular in different generations, but her statement quickly became a topic of discussion.
“As a middle millennial, some of the popular placements from my teenage and young adult years include the lower back, hip bone, shoulder blade, top of the foot, rib cage, forearm, and inner wrist,” Barclay shared with Newsweek.
She also recalled specific tattoo trends that defined her era, such as the mustache tattoo on the inner finger that was trendy in the early 2010s, or the backward writing on the collarbone, popularized by Rihanna.
Barclay admitted that, like many of her millennial peers, she followed these tattoo trends, but now she’s curious about the ink choices of today’s younger generation.
Her Instagram followers were first asked to weigh in on the question: “What’s the tramp stamp of 2024?”
“What’s the quintessential tattoo placement of this time period?” she asked. “Not focusing on the design, but on the location that will eventually define tattoos as products of the 2020s.”
The question quickly went viral, accumulating over 4.2 million views, 27,700 likes, and thousands of comments.
According to Barclay, many people suggested trends such as the random sticker-style placement of small tattoos, often above the knee, on the back of the arm above the elbow, or across the sternum.
Tattoo artists joined the conversation, agreeing with these emerging trends.
Barclay noted how quickly tattoo trends are evolving today, thanks in large part to social media, which allows designs and placements to spread and change rapidly.
“Trends spread and evolve differently now with social media,” she said. “It’s harder to agree on one ‘answer’ because trends move so quickly now, and people want to feel unique or like they’re onto the next thing before it blows up.”
This tattoo debate is just one example of the ongoing differences between millennials and Gen Z over various cultural trends.
Take, for instance, fashion: millennial enthusiasts are staunchly defending their beloved blue jean jackets, which have been a wardrobe staple since the 1950s. When one TikTok user named Birdie suggested that millennial women retire their jean jackets, urging them to “please hang them up,” many millennials pushed back in a strong show of support.
“The congregation has collectively spoken and said no! Very respectfully!!!” read the top comment on the post, signaling that the jean jacket trend is far from over.
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