Research+Paper

Our society has become so devoted upon a bronze skinned self-image that it has fueled a 5 billion dollar indoor tanning industry. Our

culture has become devoted to indoor tanning and we need break our bond with it to get a hold of our sanity. America’s society has

especially become narcissistic in its ways, and has shown peoplewill undergo anything to achieve their twisted sense of perfection,

becoming masochists of beauty. We distort our appearances to suit our taste even if the cost isgreat, from tanning to Botox to cosmetic

surgery. We need to get a foothold in our morals and know when enough is enough and when it is too much.

Tanning was not always so popular and as obsessed with as it is now. Tanning before the twentieth century was mainly non-existent, for

cosmetic reasons.According to Robert Mighall, a writer for the United Kingdom Times, “Only the poor were tanned. A bronzed skin

betokened lives spent toiling under the elements.” The rich wished to remain as pale as they possible could, and would even apply

makeup to make them seem even lighter. The wealthy tried as much as possible to remain out of the sunlight, and if they did dare to

venture forth it was under the protection of different articles of clothing and other accessories. However, the concept of tanning and being

tan soon began to change as many people stopped working in the fields for industrial factories and mines. An article by Elizabeth

Beckett, Holly Bernitt, and Vishwa Chandra details that “Tanning only became a status symbol in the early 20th century when because of

increased ease of travelling people were able to go and spend their holidays by the sea side. Transforming from being a sign of the

working class a tan now became a sign of financial strength.” Even though that is true, tanning really became a fashion statement after

French designer CoCo Chanel accidentally became tan while on a trip upon her yacht. So thanks to Ms. Chanel, tanning became Vogue

worthy and desired by most of society. The first indoor tanning bed was created in the early 1970’s by Friedrich Wolff after he did a study

on athletes with tans. Today tanning is looked at as both a fashion and financial statement. A tan gives off a healthy glow that we find

attractive and society has deemed beautiful and almost necessary. It also shows that you have enough money to put toward indoor

tanning and all the tanning accessories that come with it, or enough time to put toward laying out in sunshine. The idea of tanning has

changed over time, once it was shunned and it is now mainstream, but is that a necessarily a good concept?

Tanning has many risks involved, but it does have some benefits as well. Could the benefits out way the risks, or is this true only in the

eyes of a look-obsessed society? The most obvious benefit of tanning would be the actual tan that your skin receives. You take on the

appearance of being young and healthy, and in the eyes of our culture more beautiful. Not to mention if you have a tan or a base tan you

will be less likely to burn during the summer months. Having a tan is the main reason people tan, but there are actually a few more

benefits besides darker skin.