Published on FEB 10 2025 by James Smith

The Informational Value of Tattoos

Tattoos are more than just visual expressions; they are a means of expressing identity, culture, and personal stories that play a significant role in navigating life’s transitions. They function as both an information form, with their own structure and shape, and an information medium, communicating through the body. Tattoos are considered embodied information, intentionally inscribed on the body to express life experiences.

The experience of getting a tattoo is understood through the concept of “information experience,” which recognizes that information is not just objective data, but also what an individual perceives as meaningful within their own context. This approach acknowledges the holistic nature of tattoos, encompassing thoughts, feelings, and actions, not just the visual aspects.

Life transitions, which involve changes in status, require adaptation. Tattoos can capture and manage these transitions, serving as initiators, enablers, and resolvers.

In the period before getting a tattoo, often called “life before,” tattoos are created in response to major life events, both positive and negative, such as the loss of loved ones or significant personal experiences. Tattoos can also be a deliberate act to initiate a new phase of life, like after a breakup, or as a transition to adulthood. Additionally, they can commemorate positive events such as marriage or academic achievements. These tattoos become tangible symbols of personal narratives and significant memories.

“Living with” a tattoo means that the tattoo continues to convey information about life events to both the wearer and others. Tattoos become part of the wearer’s body image and identity. They can represent personal autonomy and the ability to make decisions about one’s own body. Tattoos can also be a way of challenging societal expectations and reclaiming one’s body. They can facilitate social interaction or prompt avoidance, acting as conversation starters or causing judgment. Tattoos also serve as a medium for storytelling, connecting past experiences with present interactions.

Tattoos act as informational tools during life transitions by:

• Enabling transition: The process of choosing and designing a tattoo allows reflection on past events and the future self, helping to resolve dissonance.
• Initiating transition: Tattoos can represent an emerging identity and lead to a commitment to change.
• Resolving transition: Tattoos help process dissonance by fixing life events on the skin, creating a record, or ‘beautifying’ a disliked body part.

Tattoos can affix dissonance, acting as a visual reminder of past and present selves. The transition process becomes public as the wearer shares their story. Tattoos can also become a surrogate of experience, a container for a memory, and a mechanism for closure, becoming a dynamic mechanism for healing. The process is not linear but cyclical, and tattoos are a living document that can be edited.

Tattoos are a complex form of information that help people understand and navigate life’s transitions, capturing personal stories, emotions, and meanings, and transforming them into tangible forms. They are a continuous source of reflection and reinterpretation, allowing people to revisit and reframe their life changes over time.

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Written by James Smith