6 days ago
The sunburn generation: Why young people are risking cancer for tans
More than one in four young adults are getting sunburnt, and rising numbers are exposing themselves to high levels of cancer-causing UV radiation with little protection, as social media trends promote tan lines and sunbathing routines.
Almost 26 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds reported being sunburnt in the previous four weeks, more than any older generation and significantly higher than the 14.8 per cent reporting sunburn overall, according to the Cancer Institute NSW's latest Sun Protection Behaviours Report.
The survey of 11,297 adults in 2022 found that almost half of young adults reported frequent sun exposure (48.7 per cent versus 41.4 per cent in the overall population), and they were less likely to wear protective clothing, sun-safe hats and sunglasses.
Meanwhile, roughly 70 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds are pro-tanning, said Matthew Warner-Smith, acting director of screening and prevention at the Cancer Institute NSW.
'An increasing number of young people have this misconception that fake tanning protects against sun exposure and sun burn; therefore, they don't need sunscreen … more than one-third in 2024/2025, up from 23 per cent the previous year,' Warner-Smith said.
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Nationally, Cancer Council research found that nine in 10 Australians aged 18 to 30 intentionally or unintentionally sunbathe. Young women aged 15 to 24 (26 per cent) were more likely to try to get a suntan than young men (15.3 per cent), an analysis of ABS data showed.
'We can't underestimate the influence of social media,' Warner-Smith said.
About 40 per cent of young people said people they follow on social media really influence them to get a sun tan, significantly higher than other age groups.
