Title: Young Adults Still Love To Tan. These Tactics Could Get Gen Z To Be Safer in the Sun, Research Finds

What to Know On Sun Tanning

• The Trend: Recent reporting suggests an increase in the popularity of suntanning among Gen Z  despite decades of evidence on the risks of skin cancer.

• The Danger: Any tanning from ultraviolet radiation, even without a sunburn, causes harm to the skin and can increase the risk for skin cancer.

• The Research: Young adults believe tanning is associated with attractiveness and social status, while using sunscreen can be seen as unattractive or inconvenient.

• What Works: Targeted and sustained social media campaigns that are visually appealing and personally relevant while still containing essential information could convince young adults to practice better sun safety behaviors.

It’s summertime, which for many Americans means time for beaches, plenty of sunshine and a golden tan.

But any time in the sun comes with the risk of sunburns and increases the chances of developing skin cancer.

Recent reporting suggests that tanning has become more popular with Gen Z despite years of research and evidence that connect tanning to skin cancer risk. 

That trend has researchers and cancer experts like Kenneth Tercyak, Ph.D., concerned. Tercyak, an oncology professor in the School of Medicine and member of Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, studies cancer prevention. His recent research has investigated the effectiveness of social media campaigns in promoting sun safety and the psychology behind how people weigh the risks and rewards of tanning.

“There’s no ‘safe’ way to obtain a tan from ultraviolet radiation (UVR),” Tercyak said. “A UVR tan is evidence that the skin has been injured, even if there isn’t a visible burn.”

We asked Tercyak what might be driving this possible rise in suntanning in young adults and what digital strategies work to promote better sun safety behaviors and prevent skin cancer.

Ask a Professor: Tanning Risks and How To Convince Young Adults to Practice Sun Safety

What’s driving this possible surge in Gen Z tanning habits, and why are these tanning risks dangerous?

I’d be careful about saying conclusively that Gen Z tans more than previous generations did at the same age. National data show that indoor tanning has declined substantially among adolescents, although intentional outdoor tanning remains especially common among younger adults. That suggests a concerning current pattern, but it doesn’t necessarily represent a proven generational reversal. 

Several forces may be driving this. Tanned skin continues to be associated with attractiveness, health, confidence and social status. Social media can intensify those ideals while spreading misinformation — for example, that a “base tan” is protective, that tanning is safe if you don’t burn or that sunscreen is harmful. A recent survey found that 65% of Gen Z respondents believed at least one tanning myth, and half relied on Instagram or TikTok for skincare information. These aren’t proof, but they illustrate the environment in which young adults are making decisions. 

The danger is that a UVR-induced tan is a biological response to skin injury and DNA damage. UVR from the sun and tanning devices is carcinogenic. Indoor tanning is associated with several forms of skin cancer, with greater risks when exposure begins early or occurs frequently.

How are young adults weighing the immediate appeal of a tan against the long-term risk of skin cancer?

Our recent study of over 2,000 high school students found that young people who perceived greater rewards from tanning and greater costs associated with sun protection reported fewer protective behaviors. The rewards included looking more attractive, feeling more confident and gaining social approval. 

The perceived costs included sunscreen feeling greasy or inconvenient, protective clothing being hot or unattractive, forgetting to bring sunscreen and the time or expense involved.

Importantly, knowledge was only weakly related to behavior. That means this isn’t simply an information deficit. A young person may know that UVR causes cancer but still chooses the immediate, visible reward of a tan over protection from a disease that seems distant. Effective prevention has to reduce practical barriers and offer an appealing alternative, not merely repeat that tanning is dangerous.

How important is developing healthy sun safety habits in early adulthood? What are the long-term risks of this tanning trend?

It’s extremely important. Adolescence and early adulthood are times in life when people begin making independent decisions about sunscreen, tanning, outdoor recreation and appearance. Behaviors established during this period can persist into later adulthood. UVR damage also accumulates, and sunburns at every stage of life are associated with skin cancer risk. Starting indoor tanning at a young age and tanning frequently are particularly concerning. 

If current patterns continue, we could see more premature skin aging in the nearer term and a greater burden of melanoma and other skin cancers decades later. Because cancer may not appear until years after the exposure, it’s easy for young people to discount the consequences of today’s behavior. But that’s a mistake.

How have health experts typically communicated skin cancer prevention tips? What’s working, and what’s not?

Traditional communication channels include school health education, counseling by clinicians, brochures and posters, public service campaigns on TV and in print media, warning labels on tanning devices, and messages from parents, coaches and community organizations. But generic, text-heavy and one-time warnings aren’t enough. 

What appears more promising is repeated, targeted communication that’s visually engaging, personally relevant and paired with supportive policies or resources. In our prior research, graphic warnings emphasizing the harms of tanning reduced intentions to tan and increased intentions to stop compared with a standard text warning. Appearance-based interventions such as UVR photography and photoaging simulations also show promise because they make a delayed consequence visible and immediate. 

In our most recent work, we’re supporting sports leagues in helping them change their outdoor policies for children to make them more sun-safe, and pairing that with behavioral support for children, families and community leaders. These are the kinds of comprehensive approaches that can help strengthen other messages about UVR protection.

What challenges and opportunities are there in using social media to communicate safe sun behaviors?

I think the main challenge is that social media is both an intervention channel and part of the risk environment — both the poison and the antidote all in one. Algorithms can rapidly amplify tanning ideals, unsafe challenges, commercial promotions and misinformation about sunscreen. Influencers may appear more relatable than health professionals, even when their claims aren’t evidence-based. Likes and views create the illusion that a message is trustworthy. 

At the same time, social media gives clinical and public health professionals an opportunity to meet young adults where they already spend time. It allows messages to be visual, brief, timely, interactive and tailored to a particular community. Trusted peers and organizations can help communicate that sun protection is normal and socially valued. It also allows health professionals to respond quickly when misinformation or a risky trend emerges. The goal shouldn’t be to communicate like a brochure placed on Instagram. The content has to fit the platform while retaining scientific credibility.

Your recent research studies the effectiveness of Instagram to promote sun safety. What messaging strategies are effective?

I want to thank the research team of millennials, zilennials and Gen-Zers who brainstormed how to best do this, and especially Janessa Mendoza (M’27).

Our campaign used Instagram as part of a broader Skin Smart Campus initiative. We first assessed college students’ knowledge gaps, behaviors, preferred communication channels and practical barriers. We then developed Instagram posts using concise text, short-form video, humor, memes, recognizable trends and messages relevant to campus life. We increased posting around higher-UVR periods and spring break, and campus organizations helped redistribute the content through trusted peer networks. 

Campaign awareness increased from approximately 24% before the launch to 49% afterward. Sunscreen use, protective clothing and tanning-bed risks were the most frequently recalled themes. Students following the Instagram account were substantially more likely to report stronger sun-safety behavior, although that’s an association — students already interested in sun safety may have been more likely to follow the account. 

The study wasn’t a randomized trial, so it can’t establish that Instagram alone caused the behavioral differences. Nevertheless, these are really encouraging findings about how to reach young adults with messages about skin cancer prevention and protection that resonate.

Can these social media strategies be applied to other cancers or diseases?

Probably yes, but we haven’t tested them in that way. But the underlying psychological principles are broadly applicable: Identify the audience’s immediate motivations and barriers, use trusted messengers, tailor messages to the group, strengthen confidence that the behavior is achievable, correct misinformation and make the healthy choice convenient. 

These principles have been applied to tobacco and vaping prevention, HPV vaccination, healthy eating, physical activity, cancer screening and other preventive behaviors. The specific message has to be tested for the particular audience and health behavior. A tactic that works for sunscreen use may not work identically for something else.

Does Gen Z exhibit any other high-risk behaviors associated with other health risks?

I’d avoid characterizing an entire generation as unusually reckless. Every generation has its own pressures and influences to contend with. Several adolescent substance use indices have actually decreased, even though important caveats remain. 

The larger concern is that health risk behaviors can cluster. Our research has found that adolescents often experience multiple behavioral risk factors together, and that lower confidence in their ability to prevent disease is associated with more risks. Prevention is important at any age, and we should support an overall healthy lifestyle rather than treating each risk behavior as completely separate. Ultimately, they’re connected.

What recommendation would you give to a young adult who wants to tan but may not be concerned about the risks of skin cancer?

The practical message is that you don’t have to choose between enjoying the outdoors and protecting your skin. But there’s no “safe” way to obtain a tan from UVR. A UVR tan is evidence that the skin has been injured, even if there isn’t a visible burn. 

So when it comes to going outdoors, use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Reapply it approximately every two hours and after swimming or sweating, seek shade, and use protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses. Most importantly, avoid tanning beds and sunlamps!