Well I think it somehow feels cultural and normal for a lot of Americans, it's a western thing, just like you put it.
in Nigeria it's an exotic practice that has a lot of root and taps into so many aspect of the Society. Sometimes I feel that it boils down to personal choices at the end of the day. So many find it classic, others fashionable, other trendy.
Its boils down to an individuals path of self discovery of who they are and how they fit into the reality around them. But is the reality around us manipulated?
In all honesty I do believe that originality is something you wouldn't really find nowadays. It feels as if being original isn't authentic and this is basically how tainted the reality we envisage and live in, is. I should talk more on this in my next blog
I am not sure exactly about your age and point of reference. I am just barely old enough to remember when punk rock in they 80s-early 90s represented standing up to authority, being tough/rugged and having free thought. They were the rebels in the western world, before that the beatniks. But now those movements and the people representing them are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Being punk rock now in western world mean submitting to authoritarian organizations/governments. Anacaps demand government control as well. Its just weird to me as an old fart at 36 year old.