Health Behavior and Risk. Self-Image.
Ever want to get rid of your winter pastiness? Can’t stand the sight of your pale skin when the cold is here? Well, if you love to tan, don’t move to Texas.
Teens in Texas face a tanning regulation that would ban anyone younger than 18 years old from using a tanning facility unless they have a doctor’s consent. This recent change is being done as a preventative measure for teens to reduce exposure to tanning beds. The use of tanning beds at this age causes an increased risk in developing skin cancer including melanoma later in life.
So why do teens tan in the first place? The role of self-presentation plays a big factor. People often engage in risky behaviors for the sake of impression management. For teens, this is especially true. They will be more willing to engage in risky behaviors such as exposure to tanning beds in order to get a tan, despite running the risk of skin cancer in the future.
In deciding to change behaviors, the Prototype-Willingness Model is used. People’s decisions to engage in risky behavior are driven by willingness rather than intention. These willingness decisions are effected by perceived social norms. In deciding whether tanning is worth the risky behavior, teens associate a tanned body to be more attractive and desirable than a pale skin-colored body. Thus, they are more willing to engage in tanning because they perceive a positive perception of a “typical” person who takes this risk.
Looks like only a doctor's note can let them do that now.
http://cbs11tv.com/local/HB.1310.tanning.2.945922.html
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