Many in the sunburnt country still like the look from feeling the burn

A good tan was once the ultimate look, until research linked bronzed bodies with cancer and the beach look became uncool for generations. Now despite all the known risks, in a new era Australians are recklessly worshipping the sun.

More than one in four young adults are getting sunburnt and rising numbers expose themselves to high levels of cancer-causing UV radiation with little protection.

Screenshots of TikToks promoting suntanning.Credit: TikTok

According to the Cancer Institute NSW’s latest Sun Protection Behaviours Report, 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. 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.

The Herald’s health editor Kate Aubusson reports social media has attracted new sunbathers, with influencers proudly displaying their tan lines and sunburnt skin. They also monitor UV ratings to time their sunbathing sessions for maximum UV exposure, and market apps that tailor tanning regimens powered by AI.

The place of sunscreens once seemed obvious, but TikTok influencers somehow made SPF lose its shine. The finding last month by consumer advocacy group Choice that some of Australia’s most popular sunscreens fell short of skin protection, with 16 of 20 products tested not meeting SPF claims on the packaging, has not helped either.

The 1981 Slip, Slop, Slap campaign was the start of many similar campaigns to combat skin cancer across the country. The initial campaign played a key role in the dramatic shift in sun protection attitudes and behaviour over several decades. Yet Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with an estimated 169,000 cases diagnosed in 2024. More than 2000 Australians die of skin cancer every year.

The stark statistic and the undeniable link to the sun and sunlamps seems to have evaded most young Australians.

Nationally, Cancer Council research found nine in 10 Australians aged 18 to 30 intentionally or unintentionally sunbathe. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that 24 per cent of young women aged 15 to 24 were more likely to try to get a suntan than 15.3 per cent of young men from the same cohort.

In NSW, about 70 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds are pro-tanning, and it is impossible to underestimate the influence of social media.

The acting director of screening and prevention at the Cancer Institute NSW, Matthew Warner-Smith, said an increasing number of young people have the misconception that fake tanning protects them against sun exposure and sun burn. “Therefore, they don’t need sunscreen … more than one-third in 2024/2025 [believe this], up from 23 per cent the previous year,” Warner-Smith said.

For too many young Australians, fantasy has replaced grim reality, and their disconnect between cause and effect clearly demands renewed efforts be made to save them from themselves.

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