Internet Weighs In on Tattoo Trend Separating Millennials From Gen Z

A woman has asked internet users what they think is the quintessential tattoo placement that Generation Zers are getting in the 2020s, and it’s sparked a huge debate online.

Jenna Barclay, 37, of Los Angeles, California, shared a video on Instagram (@jennaabarclay) asking what tattoo placement people think is typical of the last few years. In the clip, she explains that there are certain tattoos that were hallmarks of a specific time. Indeed, she references hip bone and shoulder tattoos as popular in the early noughties, and who could forget the ribcage or wrist tattoos that were all the rage in the early 2010s?

Barclay told Newsweek that, like many other millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996), she “followed the trends” with her own tattoo placements. But now, she’s curious as to what young people, including Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012), are getting that screams the 2020s.

“As a middle millennial, some popular placements that stand out from my teenage and young adult years include the lower back, hip bone, shoulder blade, top of the foot, rib cage, forearm, inner wrist,” Barclay said. “There were also more specific tattoo trends like the mustache on the inner finger in the early 2010s and backwards writing on the collar bone like Rihanna.

“Millennials are likely to have these tattoos because they were popular when we were young, but some could argue that is more of a Gen X [people born between 1965 and 1980] placement because most millennials were still too young to get tattoos at that time,” she continued.

Linking tattoo styles with each specific generation can be difficult, as Barclay explains that the trends vary so much over time and the lines between the generations get blurred. But while ribcage or foot tattoos might often signal a millennial out in the wild, Barclay said it’s “hard to pin down” the quintessential tattoo placement of the 2020s.

From what she’s seen, Barclay suggests that “fine line tattoos” are popular among young people now. But that isn’t specific to Gen Z, as she knows plenty of millennials with those designs too.

Posting her video online, she asked the internet what is “the quintessential tattoo placement of this time period?” She didn’t mean the design, but rather, where it is on the body, i.e. the location that will allow Gen Zers to one day look back and know it was done in the 2020s.

The clip has gone viral online, with more than 4.2 million views and 27,700 likes on Instagram at the time of writing. Needless to say, internet users were eager to share their suggestions and try to put an end to the speculation.

“There are so many different answers to the question in the comments, which I think is funny, but also kind of telling,” Barclay told Newsweek. “Trends spread and evolve differently now with social media. I think it’s harder to agree on an 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.

“There were definitely a few that came up over and over in the comments: the random-feeling sticker style placement of small tattoos, above the knee, back of the arm above the elbow, and sternum were probably the most common responses. A lot of tattoo artists shared their thoughts too, and for the most part, they agreed with the commenters.”

The online debate has led to more than 6,900 comments on the Instagram video at the time of writing. One comment reads: “Minimalist finger tattoos.”

Another Instagram user wrote: “Tattoo artist here. I’d say minimalist finger/hand tattoos but not many tattoos other places.”

While another suggestion included: “Random sticker book tattoos all over the arm.”

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