Final Blog

Part 1: What kind of mind are you?

If I had to pick, I would say that I am a synthesizing mind. I would say this because I pick up on new things easily and learn quickly. I am also good at explaining an idea or a process to people around me who don't understand. I can come up with different ways to help myself and others remember information. I have good study habits and methods to help myself be successful in classes.

Part 2: Choose three below and explain how you exemplified each.

Ask provocative questions. I have asked provocative questions in numerous posts in my blog. These questions stimulate a thought process for the reader. By challenging the reader to carefully review their own decisions they have made in the past, these questions tie the reader to the topic and connect the topic to their own personal lives.

Exhibit respect for other viewpoints. In parts of my blog, I try to look at tanning from the point of view of those who are strongly in favor of tanning beds. I blogged about the positive aspects of tanning beds as well as why people are attracted to them. In doing this, I was able to better understand the viewpoints of those supporting tanning beds and those against tanning beds. I remained open to what each group had to say and how they defended their choices and beliefs in my posts.

Exhibit curiosity. I was able to exhibit curiosity when I began to research about tanning beds. I went in depth with my research by finding and posting the pros and cons of tanning, how tanning affects different people in good and bad ways, and how tanning has become such a controversial issue in today's society. Also, I found a specific case from my research of a pageant girl from Indiana who had been diagnosed with a form of melanoma skin cancer. I even researched a popular alternative to tanning beds, the spray tan, to compare how people see the good and bad in both trends. Overall, I exhibited curiosity throughout this entire new experience of blogging.

Part 3: What did I realize, or learn, that surprised me most after developing my blog?

After developing my blog, I realized how dangerous tanning beds can really be. I also learned that many people will deny that they are really making bad choices for themselves until it is too late. I learned that even though people are somewhat aware of these possible dangerous consequences that come with their decisions, they still place their appearance before their health. They don't pay enough attention to the warnings all around them, and they don't think that anything bad can happen to them. I realized that I can also relate to these people. Being a teenager, I am also very concerned about my self-esteem and my self image. But now that I have researched tanning beds and have a better understanding of the risks that come with tanning, I will certaintly think twice before making my next appointment at the tanning bed.

Why Do Tanning Beds Attract So Many People?

In the eyes of many people, tanning beds offer our society a way of maintaining beauty by having skin that has a beautiful and desired color to it. Think about it. Does anyone who has ever gone to the pool with pale, pasty white skin usually appear to be extremely confident? Tanning beds are also very fast and convenient for the busy people of today's society. Morning or evening, people can get a deep golden color almost any time that they would like.
For some people, taking the time to tan gives them amazing self confidence. Tanning, for many people, has been known to give them some time in their day to unwind and relax from the stress around them. This is time spent focusing on pampering themselves rather than taking care of someone else's problems. Tanning beds also are viewed as a way to help the body produce more Vitamin D that helps keep bones, teeth, and joints healthy.
No matter your age, from teenagers to adults, people have the desire to look good and feel good about themselves. Sometimes, this desire is so strong that they forget about the negative impact of their choices. The most important thing is that people are being educated about the choices that they make, so they can make the right decision for themselves in the end.

An Alternate To Fake and Bake?

A new alternative to indoor tanning has also become a popular and accepted route in order to get that young and refreshed look. The spray tan. Although people have started to change their ways and gravitate toward the spray tan method, some people are a bit apprehensive about making the switch to the safer way. Although it is a safe alternative to sunbathing, the spray tan also has some bad aspects to it.
A good spray tan can cost anywhere from $18 to $30 for each session. Many people don't like to spend that much money for one session of spray tanning when they can have one session in an indoor tanning bed for about $5. Consequently, the spray tan may also only last for a limited number of days. In addition, spray tans that are not a good quality can leave a person looking orange. Let's face it, no one wants to leave the salon looking like Anne Hathaway in the movie Bride Wars.
So which is the better choice? The spray tan or the indoor tanning beds? The answer is different for each individual person with different priorities. But for someone looking out for their health first, the spray tan would be the best option.

Miss Indiana Finally Understands the Dangers of Tanning

Katie Donnar, 18 year old pageant girl from Indiana, had been using tanning beds since she was in sixth grade. While preparing for the Miss Indiana pageant, she found a growth on her leg. This turned out to be an early-stage from of melanoma-the worst form of skin cancer. “It seemed somewhat of a myth that I was putting myself at risk,” says Donnar, of Bruceville, Ind., who found the melanoma before it spread.

For Katie, the warnings from doctors, studies, and even the labels on the tanning bed weren't enough to cause her to stop and think about what she was really doing to herself. An analysis of multiple studies on skin cancer has shown that tanning can increase melanoma by 75 percent for people who tan frequently while they are in their teenage years and in their 20s. Unfortunately, Katie Donnar is a testimony to this growing trend. Donnar, now referred to by her friends as "snow princess", has enough confidence and knowledge to feel comfortable being herself in her own skin.

What does the FDA think about tanning?

"Tanning Beds Face New Taxes and Restrictions". According to an article from USA TODAY by Liz Szabo, the increasing concern regarding the dangers and harm of indoor tanning has lead to action taken by the FDA. New taxes, and possibly new restrictions, are in the process of being created to curb the tanning craze among young people. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended that the agency should consider requiring teenagers to have parental consent in order to use the tanning bed, or, perhaps, ban the use of indoor tanning beds among teenagers. While tanning lamps are now classified as "Class I" medical devices (the same category as tongue depressors and elastic bandages), advisors are pushing for them to be modified to a Class II or Class III device.

Around 35 percent of 17-year-old girls use tanning beds, and people use people under 30 who use the tanning bed increase their risk of getting skin cancer by 75%. Will the FDA soon pass legislation regarding the use of tanning beds successfully? How will people across the country react to this controversial issue? My guess is that that habitual tanners will not be pleased, but we will just have to wait and see how things turn out.

Fact or Myth?

With many facts and myths about tanning circulating today, how are people supposed to be able to separate fact from fiction in order to make educated choices? What are some of the most common myths that people, over time, have come to believe to be true?

Myth #1: You can contract AIDS or herpes from the tanning. This is totally impossible and absurd.
Fact: The AIDS virus is transmitted only by bodily secretions. There should be almost no risk on a tanning bed. The possibility is "extremely remote". Moreover, the professional tanning salons are required to sanitize each bed after each use.

Myth #2: You can "fry"your internal organs if you tan excessively.
Fact: The reality is that something like this cannot possibly happen. The UV rays, if absorbed in an uncontrolled dose, can penetrate your skin but that's about as far as they can go in your body. Tanning could potentially lead to skin cancer, but there is absolutely no chance that your internal organs may get 'fried'.

Myth #3: Tanning before you go on vacation so you won't later burn, also known as the "base tan", is a safer way to expose yourself to the sun.
Fact: The theory behind this is a few sessions of indoor tanning will protect your skin from sunburn in a sunny climate. But, very little evidence supporting the validity of this theory exists. Tanning under the sun or a sunlamp gives protection that is equivalent to a sun protection factor (SPF) of 4 or less, which translates into a little extra time in the sun before you start to burn. But the larger issue is that any change in skin color is a sign of damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

A journey into the tanning bed

This video shows how many people are not aware of how tanning beds specifically affect the body. Even though more than one million people in the United States alone are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, people ignore or are oblivious to the safety risks of tanning. Why do we ignore scientific knowledge and statistics that are right in front of our faces if our actions are going to have severe consequences? Why do we make excuses to justify the use of tanning beds? By hearing from these young adults interviewed in this video, we can understand how tanners view their decision-making process. America is all about self-presentation, first impressions, and appearance. Like some of the people interviewed in the video stated, many people go tanning because it helps their self-esteem. Appearing "bronze, healthy, and young", people continue to follow the popular trend of tanning for their image. But, do people who tan ever think about how they will look in thirty years because of what they are doing now? The irreversible damage and other possible consequences of their actions should be enough to make people think twice about tanning.