Dalekboy

Of course the surest way to get a teenager to want their ears (or anything else) pierced is to forbid it :)

Not that you were advocating that either. But yes, should be the choice of the person involved. Preferably also an informed choice (i.e. they know what they'll have to do to take care of the piercings, what might possibly go wrong and that it will be their responsibility to take care of it).