“Okay Gen Z, listen up!” wrote TikTok user @smoothavacado in a recent video, soundtracked to Lorde’s ‘Team’. “What if, now hear me out, we all got a matching tattoo as not only a symbol of unity in our generation, but also as a sign of rebellion?” Famous last words.
Unfortunately, the TikToker’s idea for what this tattoo should look like, as many were quick to point out, bore a striking resemblance to the Wolfsangel, a widely-documented Nazi symbol. The damage however, was already done.
Hearteningly, the #GenZTattoo hashtag is now mostly populated with explainers detailing why you SHOULDN’T be putting the original design anywhere near your body, and alternate, non-racist tattoo ideas for those who are still keen on the concept of a generational tattoo. (But ask yourself, why?)
Additionally, the original video that kicked off the trend has now been deleted by its creator: @smoothavacado also made an apology video, in which she explains that she wasn’t aware of the symbol’s white supremacist origins. “I have been writing my Zs like that since elementary school,” she says in the clip, “So when I put that [design] on there, I didn’t think anything of it.”
In 2021, let’s all make better choices, shall we?