In an age of social media falsehoods, it鈥檚 perhaps no surprise that sunscreen, a summertime staple, is now having its own moment in the virtual sun 鈥� withering under the haze of online misinformation.
As The New York Times , multiple surveys indicate a distributing trend among younger adults who seem to be 鈥渟lacking on sun safety,鈥� due to myths they encounter online about sunscreen and skin cancer.
鈥淭hese myths do proliferate, and they often get more views than the accurate information that's out there,鈥� said Caroline Hopkins, a reporter who recently reported on sunscreen for the Times. 鈥淭here's a lot of people that call themselves experts, who don't have any credentials.鈥�
Speaking on 海角换妻鈥檚 鈥淲here We Live,鈥� Hopkins cited a recent survey conducted , which found 37% of 18- to 26-year olds said they only wore sunscreen when someone nagged them about it. found more than one in 10 adults under 35 believed the myth that wearing sunscreen everyday is more harmful than direct sun exposure.
Myths about so-called 鈥渂ase tans鈥� providing protection from the sun also perpetuate falsely online, said Dr. Kelly Olino, an assistant professor of surgical oncology at Yale School of Medicine.
鈥淎fter you have your base tan, that鈥檚 already damaged skin,鈥� Olino said. 鈥淪o you're actually more susceptible to additional skin damage than what you were before.鈥�
That damage can include a variety of skin cancers, including squamous cell cancers, basal cell carcinomas and melanoma.
While sunscreen isn鈥檛 your only defense 鈥� shade and wide-brimmed hats can also provide protection from the sun 鈥� it鈥檚 a crucial way to keep your skin safe, Olino said.
鈥淭he important things are SPF at least of 30 or above, and apply it every two hours 鈥� and more often if you're sweating or going in the water,鈥� Olino said.
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海角换妻鈥檚 Tess Terrible and Catherine Shen contributed to this report.
