Modernity compels us to declare our identity with conviction. But, in an increasingly complex and fragmented world where the only constant is change, the result is a loss of the personal anchors needed for identity. Tattoos may provide this anchor, offering a way of visually promoting one’s identity and/or group affiliation in a society that fosters, both wittingly and unwittingly, anomie and anonymity. And for younger people, who are more likely to struggle with figuring out who they might be, tattoos don’t just express identity: they help define it. Which is why Millennials and Generation X are more likely to rely on tattoos as a way to cement aspects of their past and present selves.

This permanence is key. We define who we are by the elements that stick with us – people, stories, places, memories – and we measure ourselves in relation to them, patching the highlights together into what sociologists call a ‘personal myth’. These myths make sense of our lives, integrating our remembered past, perceived present, and anticipated future. Some people use institutions such as religion, work, and family to create this myth. Others use material objects like houses and cars to define it. But younger generations are different. Without access to many of the anchors their parents had to create their personal myths, that sense of stability and permanence is often harder to find.