Daily Emerald//Stella Fetherston

Opinion: Suck it up and slather on that sunscreen
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Spring term is a joyous season at UO; the sun is shining, allergies are booming and tours stalk us on the daily. Despite all of the spring fun, I can’t help but notice a concerning trend on this campus: the horrifying sunburns and Trump-esque spray tans.
While I too enjoy a golden hue during the warmer months, tanning is an obsession for some to the point of skin damage and fluorescent hues. As a result of a cultural push to look flawless and wealthy, this unhealthy beauty standard dominates our campus.
For a quick recap of every warning your concerned mom has given to you (as so many seem to have forgotten), applying sunscreen is essential to protect against not only direct sunburns but also the long-term sun damage that may leave you with skin cancer. Preventing premature aging is another bonus.
People like to underplay the danger of skin cancer and its connection to improper sun exposure. For reference, as found by Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, “one in five Americans develop skin cancer by the age of 70… and having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma.”
While it may seem like a worry for the future, protection against skin cancer should be a lifelong effort. Applying sunscreen is also equally important for people of all skin tones despite the lack of public awareness surrounding the issue.
“I wear sunscreen daily as a person with melanin,” first-year Alexandra Locsin said. “I recognize that my skin can still be damaged by the sun while being a darker tone in the first place.”
From a cultural perspective, why do we feel the need to tan excessively? I see the urge as the result of various social pressures, from a taught discontentment with our natural bodies to the constant marketing of tanning-related products and procedures.
Other than delivering a healthy glow, tans are also used to cover up the perceived imperfections on our bodies. Many believe tans to distract from acne, stretch marks and body hair, and they sacrifice their skin health in an attempt to capitalize off of this and additionally appear “thinner.”
The beauty industry also pushes a “perfectly tan” norm, which allows it to capitalize on insecurities about being too pale. For instance, “bronze-enhancing” and tanning products are constantly advertised on social media, as seen with the dozens of self-tanner options and widespread popularity of bronzing makeup like Drunk Elephant’s “D-Bronzi” drops.
“I see it as people wanting to look tan as a sign of wealth,” first-year Riley O’Mara said. “Being tan implies that they have the time and money to go on luxury vacations and spend on products to achieve the look. In some people’s eyes, sunscreen doesn’t fit into the look, and they’re more focused on appearances in the present than their future health.”
While I’m grateful for the sun and tuition dollars that Californians bring to UO, I’m less grateful for inheriting their reckless abandonment of sun protection. Enjoy your last few weeks of the term safely, apply that sunscreen and protect your future baddie self from the consequences of those afternoons at Dexter.