Local Teens Ignoring Sunscreen Message in Favor of Getting a Good Tan


Local Teens Ignoring Sunscreen Message in Favor of Getting a Good Tan. This is going to come as a big surprise to everyone, we know, but according to a study recently out in Pediatrics, young adolescents — mostly girls — are choosing to work on their sunbathing skills rather than listening to their mothers’ and health professionals’ warnings about skin cancer and wrinkles. According to reports, the youths seem to start out with the best of intentions, with more than half of them using sunscreen in fifth grade. But those numbers do a steep dive, and by eighth grade, only a quarter of teens are using sunscreen. By no coincidence, this is also the age range in which both having a lovely golden tan and rebelling against your parents becomes cool. [WBUR | Pediatrics]