The stale war cry of the self-righteous is fading from the ears of corporate America, though you may still hear it from family members and conservative mouthpieces. It sounds something like, “You’ll never get a job now!” or “How is that going to look when you get old?”

I’m talking about tattoos in the workplace. In increasing numbers, collegiate students are getting inked before or during the pursuit of their degree. According to a study from statisticbrain.com in 2012, 14 percent of Americans have at least one tattoo, and the number is on the rise. In perspective, that’s roughly 45 million people. An interesting fact: Congress’ approval rating is currently riding at 5 percent. There are more people are willing to jam a needle into their skin for decoration than are capable of mustering some faith in our political system. It’s more than a personal statement; it’s a cultural shift.

Forbes magazine related a surprising trend toward tolerance of the tattooed twenty-somethings in the corporate, educational, and medical industries. Even in a sparse job market, qualified applicants should not expect to be discriminated against for a mark here or there, or even a full sleeve.

All of this should be taken in moderation, of course. If your buddy talked you into getting ICP’s Hatchet Man emblazoned over your right eyebrow, that’ll bring up all sorts of questions about judgment, from violent tendencies to poor music choices.

The truth of the matter is that “permanence” means something completely different to millennials than to previous generations. While those who lived through Nixon may have an opinion about the worth of a pound of flesh, the reality is that information is the new indelible mark that identifies us. The data we supply to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social hubs of choice is the new format of our reputation. No one but the most staunch modernist or computer illiterate is going to use a tribal armband to judge a potential applicant when the quickest Google search of their name can reveal an album called “Kegstand Montage 2008.”

Criticism of the choice to get tattoos is becoming a dated sign of corporate inflexibility. An ex of mine had “Namaste” tattoed on the inside of her wrist, which her employer at Starbucks insisted she cover up with a bandage. No doubt their customers experienced waves of relief in being shielded from what they then had to imagine was an open wound floating over their coffee. A little under a decade ago, I myself was fired from a job for getting a facial piercing across the bridge of my nose for my 21^st birthday. Of course, it was a week until anyone noticed, because I was working outdoors, pumping concrete and wearing sunglasses the entire time.

The bottom line is that attitudes about what a business should look like and how it should run are changing. To borrow a phrase from the generation still spouting the appalled outcry, I think we’ve heard enough from the peanut gallery.

wwhalen@mavs.coloradomesa.edu