I'd say there are a few forces behind all of this. Apart from the maori tattoo trend, i think social media has played a large part in it. Facebook, twitter and the like are all about self promotion. With twitter, people are obsessed with followers and self promotion. Facebook is not much different with people having an obsession with checking to see if people have clicked "like" on their page. Social media has created a narcissistic society where people think what they eat for breakfast or lunch is somehow important.
The tattoo phase is an extension of all of this self importance and "look at me" attitude.
Most people i know who work with gen "Y"s will say that they are often selfish, impatient and not as respectful as other generations. That they have a false sense of entitlement. It is this lack of respect, narcissistic, individualist attitude that has prompted many to disfigure themselves with tats and have little or no consideration for their future employment prospects.
