The thing is that even if people know that they have a really high chance of getting skin cancer (i'm not kidding and being paranoid. It's totally easy to get skin cancer) we're totally influence by the media. I know, ok, so every school has tons and tons of discussing about not to be influenced so much by the media - the media makes people look overly beautiful, that's not how they really are and blablabla (no offense, but really, that's how teens hear it). The thing is, being dark is being cool. it's showing you "really,really" are a beach girl (or guy) and those happen to be oh-so cool. And not only are like all of the "cool" guys on TV tanned and beautiful, a lot of guys who like the outdoors (cool) like girls that like the outdoors (also cool) which means they spend time in the sun (very cool) and get a sun (so "cool"). A lot of teens want to really impress their peers, I'm sorry, but hey, teens are teens, and alot of them don't really see themselves as beautiful. And not only teenagers. You totally hit the nail thingamajig on the head when you say that its the tanned celebrities. Now, celebrities doesn't only mean people like Paris Hilton and such, but also that really popular lady from down the street who ruled the neighborhood and happens to be "drop-dead" gourgeous (you know, the wind blown hair, showing she's not like one of those martha steward mom's, which also includes the tan)All in all, it's just a weird thing. In a hundred years (if we're still around) we may all want to have green skin. it's fashion. and brown is in, so brown just about rules a lot of the places.Hope this helps!-T-

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