Gen Z tattoo trend goes horribly wrong
With thousands of Generation Z users dominating on TikTok, the platform's young demographic have become the latest victims of a tattoo challenge gone wrong.
Gen Z users - who make up the majority of users - have recently been embracing a new tattoo trend of inking a 'Z' symbol on themselves.
While the design was meant as a stylish nod to Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), some users have googled the motif only to realise their new ink actually resembles a Nazi symbol.
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In a video that has since been made private but continues to be shared across the platform, TikTok user 'smoothavocado' suggested that all members of the youngest generation get matching tattoos.
"What if, now hear me out … we all got a matching tattoo, not only a symbol of unity in our generation, but also as a sign of rebellion," she said in the post, reports Yahoo.
Other users were quick to point out the likeness between a "Z" with a line through it and the wolfsangel symbol - which is often associated with the Nazi party and other white supremacist groups.
i’m so down #genz pic.twitter.com/4OyZl0qTXv
— hailey :) (@haileymagadan) September 18, 2020
The user later uploaded a second video saying "Yeah maybe don't … let's find a different symbol."
@kcmbrly ##duet with @smoothavacado yea maybe don’t 😍😍🙌 let find a different symbol, okay? 🥰🥰
♬ original sound - Jordyy
It's unclear how many people actually got the tattoo but a number of images and videos appeared on the video-sharing platform showing the "Z" tattoos, with some users boasting about joining the trend.
Earlier this week, the term 'Gen Z' was also trending on social media platform Twitter suggesting the idea was gaining traction.
i just got my gen Z tattoo😊 #GenZ pic.twitter.com/fyBIo0HghY
— Spimp (@Spimp3) September 22, 2020
There have been at least 40,000 tweets about Gen Z and countless messages from those offended by the misunderstood tattoos.
The trend has outraged most social media users, with many questioning how thousands could possibly be considering a semipermanent tattoo based only off a TikTok video.
"If you got the "Gen Z tattoo" you are a special kind of stupid," commented one social media user.
I know I said cringe culture is dead but that gen z tattoo really testing me rn
— Eggie 🍳 herbal egg era (@eggiebabie) September 21, 2020
The young woman who sparked the idea has since apologised, amid the symbol's links to white supremacists, Nazis and/or hate groups.
"I have been writing my Zs like that since elementary school," she said in the post circulating online.
"So when I put that on there, I did not think anything of it … My entire point of this was to bring my generation together. It was about love and unity, OK?"
Originally published as Gen Z tattoo trend goes horribly wrong
Don’t listen to the people saying not to get the tattoo #GenZ if you sang it get it. it’s not even the same as the nazi thing. It’s different and just because it was used as a nazi symbol doesn’t mean it has to always stand for that. Grow tf up it’s a tattoo #YOLO BITCHES pic.twitter.com/o5AzFCJVrR
— Alexis Carman (@ItsTheRealLexi) September 20, 2020
it’s the getting a gen z tattoo because of tiktok for me. pic.twitter.com/Eem9LJYnQm
— veda 🦋 (@vedaxclark) September 20, 2020
I come across a lot of funny and stupid shit on tiktok but this has to be the be worst so far.
— i bet on losing dogs is the best mitski song (@haaniyah_) September 20, 2020
So someone proposed a generational tattoo for Gen Z to get and it’s dangerously close to a n4zi symbol but ppl are still doing it. 😭 pic.twitter.com/uUOwg0kT6y
tw nazis antisemitism
— josie🌈 (@puppygender) September 20, 2020
PLEASE please please don't get the gen z matching tattoo it's extremely similar to a nazi symbol (specifically the wolfsangel) i'm begging you please don't pic.twitter.com/BBjnCF9vYC
the fact that some of gen z are just getting a tattoo cuz someone told them to without realizing they’re tattooing a nazi symbol on themselves, pls research wut ur gonna tattoo on urself always pic.twitter.com/lTR6Z0xzEf
— milkis (@n4tn4t41i3) September 20, 2020
I hope you guys realize the gen z tattoo yall are getting is a literal nazi symbol
— Lyssa asf (@destructivefrog) September 20, 2020