From Slip, Slop, Slap to "no hat, no play", today's teenagers and young adults grew up with sun safety messages in their schools, homes, and TV and radio ads.
At some point, they've been warned of the well-documented risk of fatal skin cancers from sunbaking. But a big problem remains: they love the look of a tan.
At Glenelg and Henley Beach in Adelaide, young people told the ABC tans were very much on trend.
About two-thirds of Australians will be diagnosed with a form of skin cancer in their lifetime, according to the Cancer Council.
Recent research from the federal Department of Health, however, found 74 per cent of young Australians did not think they were at risk of skin cancer.
Almost one in three believed it was fine to tan in the sun at their age, while fewer than one in 10 reported consistently using all five forms of sun protection.
Health experts are desperate to change those attitudes.
But given decades of public health campaigns have not stopped young generations from chasing a tan, they say a different approach is needed to drive the message home.
Loading...What happened to Slip, Slop, Slap?
The sun safety slogan launched in 1981 is still around — and it had the new additions of seek (shade) and slide (on sunglasses) in 2007.
It is considered one of the most successful health campaigns in Australia's history, helping to lower melanoma rates for certain generations.
But today's young people say it hasn't stuck with them. In fact, several told the ABC they hardly ever encountered sun safety messaging in their day-to-day lives.
In contrast, they report seeing the message that tanned is better almost everywhere they turn.
Recruiting influencers
Social media companies and influencers have been blamed for helping spread content glamorising tanning, and misinformation demonising sunscreen as unhealthy.
Now, campaigners are looking to those same platforms as a possible solution.
The federal government and Cancer Council Australia recently launched a $7.3 million campaign that has recruited 50 content creators, as well as fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands and music festival Laneway to promote sun safety to Australians aged 18–30.
Ads are rolling out on social media, YouTube, and audio streaming service Spotify.
Health Minister Mark Butler said a key part of the strategy was partnering with people young Australians would listen to.
"We had to consider new ways to reach this group," Mr Butler said.
"So we've gone to where they are — online, at music festivals, and through fashion and lifestyle media."
Fighting harmful messaging
While more sun-safe posts could help balance the pro-tanning ones, regulating content on these platforms remains a challenge.
Last year, TikTok announced it would ban sponsored content that featured tanning products but not user-generated content about tanning.
Today, videos offering tanning tips and recommending tanning oils and "tan accelerator" products are still easy to find on the app.
Melanoma Institute Australia co-medical director Richard Scolyer, who was the joint 2024 Australian of the Year, urged social media companies and users to take more responsibility for their content and avoid glamorising tanning.
He said TiKTok had previously been receptive when he called out a dangerous post.
"But we've got to do more and it's got to be ongoing," Professor Scolyer said.
"We've got to make it not cool in Australia to have a tan."
Fellow winner and co-medical director Georgina Long said social media influencers had a huge impact on attitudes to tanning.
"They're out there in the bikini, showing their tan line … propagating the myth that everyone laps up that this tanning is beautiful," she said.
"When you see those suntan lines … that makes me feel ill as a medical oncologist."
Campaigns must evolve
Professor Long said social media campaigns were the best way to tackle the issue.
"What we need is something that evolves and continues … and it has to respond to the environment we're in," she said.
"We're hoping in our year of Australians of the Year that we can really push on this point and get advertisers [and] government leaders to help us create … a campaign that is everlasting and modern and speaks to people now."
University of South Australia professor of cancer nursing Marion Eckert also advocated smart use of technology.
"Given young people are really good with the phones, they should download an app that can tell them about the UV," she said.
"If the UV [rating] is three or above, you should protect your skin if you're going to be out there for more than 15 minutes.
"We need to change that behaviour because it [melanoma] is a killer for 15 to 29-year-olds — it's the number one cancer."