Tis the season for bad advice.
Again.
The influencers are back at it, questioning why anyone would bother with sunscreen. They’re glorifying the burn, praising high-UV index days, and slathering on tanning oils like it’s a holy ritual. As older generations, we’ve seen this movie before. We remember how it ends. Spoiler alert: premature aging. Skin cancer. Not great vibes.
It’s not just old habits dying hard. SummerTok is actively fueling the fire. A recent study revealed something alarming: videos containing sunscreen misinformation get way more traction than the ones telling you to actually protect your skin. These clips claim the sun is healthy, that SPF causes cancer, or that it messes with your hormones. There are even theories about microplastics. And the old “healthy base tan” myth? It’s back too. It never really left.
Here is the twist.
Most TikTok videos about sunscreen actually tell you to use it.
They just get ignored. The anti-SPF content? It’s the popular kid at school. The consequences are already here. Among Gen Zers aged 16 to 39, a full third scored a D or F on a sun safety quiz by the American Academy of Dermatology. More than 60 percent reported seeing online lies about the sun.
This makes things awkward for doctors. Dr. Sejal Shah of SmarterSkin Dermatology says her job now involves a lot of myth-busting. She doesn’t debate her patients. She gets curious.
“When a young patient comes in, I approach with curiosity rather than creating a debate.”
It’s a smart move. Arguing doesn’t work. Listening does.
Teens aren’t new to skipping sunscreen for the sake of a tan. The product isn’t new either. The difference now is the source. Social media is a black box. Parents can’t hack it. The algorithms feed teens a steady stream of propaganda that looks like beauty tips. It feels authentic because it comes from peers, not labs.
Dr. Shah suggests finding out why a teen hates the stuff. What’s the friction? Greasy texture? White cast? Fear of ingredients? Once you understand the resistance, you can counter it with evidence. Not scolding. Evidence.
Remind them about the basics too. Reapply after swimming. Reapply after sweating. Reapply if you towel dry. It sounds simple because it is.
We get it though. Reapplication is annoying. Wearing long sleeves when it’s 95 degrees feels like torture. Doing any of this is hard. Doing it when your favorite influencer says it’s all a lie? Impossible.
So maybe lead by example. Educate yourself. Model the habit. Keep the conversation quiet and nonjudgmental. Let them talk. Then mention the wrinkles. Mention the pain. Mention that TikTok isn’t a dermatology board. Hand them a bottle.
They might still listen to the app.
Or maybe they’ll look in the mirror later.
