New research from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center showed that while about 50 per cent of the kids studied used sunscreen when they were 10 years old, by the time they were 13, only 25 per cent still used it.
A majority of the 360 kids in the study said they liked the look of a tan, and they were spending more time in it over the course of the 3-year study.
And more than half of the children involved reported having at least one sunburn the previous summer.
Those sunburns increase the chances of developing melanoma and other skin cancers.
The Sloan-Kettering researchers, as well as other dermatologists, say the results point out the need to reach pre-adolescents and young adolescents about the importance of sun safety. Unfortunately, efforts to get messages across to this age group have had limited success. And it gets even harder to make an impact as children move through their teens.
Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is on the rise in young adults, as are other skin cancers.
