SKIN 
 

November 2021     Volume 5 Issue 6 
 

Copyright 2021 The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine 704 

COMPELLING COMMENTS 
 

 

Social Media and Skin Cancer Prevention: A Promising Platform 
for Education Among Adolescents and Young Adults 
 

Mary Cavanagh, BS1, Brinda Chellappan, MD2 
 
1 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, El Paso, TX 
2  Orange Park Medical Center, Orange Park, FL 
 

 
 
 

With an increase in social media usage, 
patients and healthcare professionals have 
taken to platforms like Instagram, Twitter, 
and TikTok to promote awareness about 
several diseases and health conditions. 1 In 
the United States, 39% of adults turn to 
social media for health information.1 The 
rising incidence of skin cancer allows for the 
novel use of social media to encourage skin 
cancer education and prevention. 1 This 
platform may specifically benefit adolescents 
and young adults, as melanoma has been 
identified as the third most common cancer 
among patients aged 15-39.1  
 
Instagram is a popular social media platform 
which garners 1 billion users each month, 
90% of which are less than 35 years of age1. 
Instagram was identified as the social media 
platform with the highest number of postings 
about skin cancer awareness. 1 One study 
examining Instagram posts related to skin 
cancer found that content mostly focused on 
skin cancer treatment, the impact of sun 
exposure, and specific preventative 
measures such as the use of sunscreen and 
protective gear.2 Nearly one-quarter of the 
posts discussed the ABCDEs of melanoma.2 
 
Studies have shown an increase in 
sunscreen usage among middle and high 

school students in recent years. Among U.S. 
adolescents in grades 6-12, average mean 
sunscreen usage increased by 4% for every 
consecutive year between 2007 and 2019.3 
These findings are  reassuring when 
compared to 1999-2009, which saw an 
overall decrease in sunscreen usage among 
adolescents.3 Authors cited increased skin 
cancer prevention content on social media 
as a potential explanation for the increased 
sunscreen use among teens.3  
 
Dermatologists, healthcare professionals, 
and medical societies, like the American 
Academy of Dermatology, have successfully 
utilized social media for patient education. 
These social media educators should 
consider creating content specifically for 
adolescents and young adults to highlight 
techniques for skin cancer prevention and 
identification.  
 
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: This research was 
supported in part by HCA Healthcare and/or an HCA 
Healthcare affiliated entity. The views expressed in 
this publication represent those of the authors and do 
not necessarily represent the official views of HCA 
Healthcare or any of its affiliated entities. 
 
Funding: None 
 
Corresponding Author: 
Mary Cavanagh, BS 



SKIN 
 

November 2021     Volume 5 Issue 6 
 

Copyright 2021 The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine 705 

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center 
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine El Paso  
Phone: (512) 367-9502 
Email: mary.cavanagh@ttuhsc.edu 

 
 
References: 
1. De La Garza H, Maymone MBC, Vashi NA. 

Impact of Social Media on Skin Cancer 
Prevention. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 
2021;18(9):5002. Published 2021 May 9. 
doi:10.3390/ijerph18095002 

 
2. Basch C, Hillyer G. Skin cancer on Instagram: 

implications for adolescents and young adults. Int 
J Adolesc Med Health. 2020;0(0). 
doi:10.1515/ijamh-2019-0218 

 
3. Rajagopal G, Talluri R, Chuy VS, Cheng AL, Dall 

L. Trends in Sunscreen Use Among US Middle 
and High School Students, 2007-2019. Cureus. 
2021;13(7):e16468. Published 2021 Jul 18. 
doi:10.7759/cureus.16468