Tag Archives: Teens and Tattoos

Life Went Fast for Teens in 2012

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I’ve been reflecting on 2012 the past few weeks, thinking about all the Teen Focus Groups I facilitated, teens I interacted with and articles I have read on Teen Trends and Culture. The more I have reflected the more I see a common theme that played out in Teen Trends for 2012. It is this idea or notion that teens feel ”Life Goes Fast.”

The last Focus Groups I facilitated this year hit this notion home for me when two of the teen members in the group kept referencing how fast life was going. They were saying things like how soon one of them would turn 18 years old, how fast teen trends change, how the school year was going by so face and how if they blinked they might miss something

goobye-2012-hello-2013Let’s reflect on a few Teen Trends we saw pop up this year that showcase the notion that teens feel “Life Goes Fast.”  First there was the popular phrase YOLO (You Only Live Once) that popped up everywhere from tweets to tags and on clothing. It was one way for teens to relate to each other that life is moving fast and that they need to live in the moment. Check out my May 1st Post Whats Up With YOLO for more information.

The next big trend I noticed was more teens getting Tattoos this year. When I asked teens about this trend they said that getting a tattoo is a way for them to remember certain event or person in their life that had an impact on them. Because life moves so fast they never wanted to forget that feeling, that event or that person and they felt getting a tattoo was a way to always remember. Check out my August 15th Blog Post Teens and Tattoos for more information.

And lastly is a trend I have seen for a couple of years now. Every teen event I have been to have one thing in common. Teens taking tons of pictures and videos. They love capturing instagramevery moment no matter how big or small. But that is not the end of it, they need to share that picture with others to show them the cool things that they just did, ate or experienced. You can see this Trend through the fact that one of the HOTTEST Apps this year was Instagram that allowed teens to share their life through photos with cool filters. Read more about Instaram in my post on August 28th titled What Do Teens Say is Popular.

With the technology age, more teens having smartphones and teens seeing tragic events both natural and man mad in the media, I do not see this mentality of “Life Goes Fast” fading anytime soon. I bet we see some New Teen Trends pop up this year that follow this same pattern.

Let me know if you see any new Teen Trends or remember other trends from 2012 that follow the Live Goes Fast mentality.

What Do Teens Say is Popular?

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Last week I had a GREAT experience talking to a group of teens from around the country about what they felt the latest Teen Trends were. I truly enjoy these opportunities to hear what is popular and trendy in one community, such as cowboy boots, compared to what has gained the attention of teens across the country.  Somehow our conversation steered towards fashion, which if you know me, I am no expert on fashion.  Unless watching episodes of Project Runway with my wife makes me knowledgeable on the topic.

The items I am going to share here are all items that teens from different parts of the Country agreed were popular or currently trendy.

I first shared with this group my observations of more and more teens getting Tattoos and they easily identified this as a growing trend with teens. Several of them even mentioned already knowing what they were going to get tattooed on them once they turned 18.

On the fashion side, the teens mentioned that skinny jeans (Especially on guys) is still pretty popular and does not seem to be fading. I know, my eyes began to hurt just thinking about it.  On an up-side we have Toms Shoes, the brand that is dedicated to giving a pair of shoes to a child who needs a pair for every pair bought.  Many teens agreed that these were popular and they owned a pair (more girls than guys said they owned a pair). The Tom Shoes trend goes along with commentary on this next generation wanting to engage in social justice issues but wanting others to see that they are engaging in helping a social justice cause.  By wearing these shoes they are showing that they helped a child in need.

A couple other common trends that were mentioned were the ever-so-popular limited edition celebrity/athlete shoes that brands such as Nike have been putting out.  They agreed that these were popular among teens but many could not afford to purchase a pair. But they love to follow the hype and dream about owning a pair.

Obey t-shirts were mentioned as being popular by several teens. Especially those on the west coast.  I had seen these before but knew very little about them. From reading the company’s website it seems their roots are in self-empowerment and allowing people to represent what they believe while subtly questioning what is happening around them. I see this as a fit with a generation who is figuring out how to be self expressive in a digital world.

But by far the MOST popular thing these teens mentioned was Instagram. The app that lets you easily turn your pictures into stunning photos that you can then share with your friends. This was the only item listed by the teens that everyone agreed was VERY popular. Only one of the teens participating in the conversation did not use instagram.  It is easy to see why this app is so popular with today’s teens sharing their lives through photographs. They post them on Facebook, Tweet them and even create a tumblr to act as a photo diary of their life. This one app can make those decent camera photos look amazing with a few simple filters. Ok, the filters probably are not simple to make by any means, but the process to use the app is. A simple bowl of mac-n-cheese never looked so good.

Are you seeing any of these items being trendy or popular with the teens you work with? What trends are you seeing with teens where you are from?

 

Teens and Tattoos

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One of the best ways I have found to learn what the latest Teen Trends are is through simple observation of teens.  I put this into practice recently while attending a recent street festival in my city where there were numerous teens hanging out.  Once I got over the fact that many teens were wearing cloths that mimicked what I remember from the 80′s and early 90′s I noticed something else. I observed a lot of teens had Tattoos.  Some had small tattoos on their wrists and others had shoulders and necks completely covered.

This reminded me that a  few weeks earlier while watching the Teen Choice Awards, hosts Demi Lovato and Kevin McHale had a rather long dialogue comparing their tattoos. Then I stumbled across an article written by a 15-year-old male talking about Teen Trends. He pointed out that teens getting Tattoos was a growing trend.  A few weeks before that while interacting with a group of teen leaders one teen mentioned how he could not wait until he was 18 years old so that he could get a tattoo. He even already had the tattoo picked out.

I decided to investigate more and ask teens their thoughts. I received an overwhelming response from teens saying yes in fact teens getting tattoos was a popular trend.  When I followed up and asked why teens were getting tattoos or why they felt more teens were getting tattoos today they responded with the following:

  • “It is socially acceptable today. In the past tattoos were associated with rebellious behavior and that is not the case anymore.”
  • “The role models we look up to have tattoos.”
  • “Teens feel life is moving fast and getting a Tattoo helps you remember special times in your life, people in your life or key phrases that impacted your life.”
  • “Teens see them as cool and they want to fit in and get one too.”
  • “It is a way for teens to express our emotions, likes and what ever else we want to say.”
  • “A tattoo can represent or serve as a remind of something the teen has overcome.”

I have not seen any research on the topic of Teens and Tattoos so let me pose a question. Are you seeing more teens getting tattoos and if yes why do you feel they are getting them?