Such is the pattern of a fad, which Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) defines as “a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal.” This definition accurately describes many other practices that ride a wave of popularity, but eventually lose their momentum.
Consider the recent surge of interest in the ancient practice of tattooing. For many years, tattoos carried a negative stigma, as they were commonly associated with sailors, bikers and gang members. More recently, however, a 2012 poll found that as many as one in five (21 percent) adults in the United States have at least one tattoo—that is a sharp increase from the 14 percent reported in 2008 (The Harris Poll, February 23, 2012). Inking has become so commonplace that it is not uncommon to see grandmothers sporting tattoos! And instead of subtle, easily hidden markings, many today make multiple trips to the parlor to cover large portions of their bodies with intricate and complex “body art.”