If light skin is so desirable, why do white people get tans?

[laundry_queen]

15. I'm sure that's part of it

but there is some research that shows tanning can be addictive as it triggers large amounts of vit D to be synthesized and that can have an anti-depressive effect.

I tanned a bit as a teen (back when it was legal for teens to go to tanning beds) because I was so white people were always asking me if I was ill. And, tanning brought out my freckles and I thought they were cute. Oh, and I had hairy arms and tanning made the hair be less noticeable. I was very self-conscious about every flaw of mine as a teen, as I had a mother who was always picking at me about my appearance. I didn't tan until I was very dark because I didn't have much money for tanning, and I knew about the dangers of tanning so I just did it before special occasions generally. There, everything you needed to know about why some people tan, lol. BTW - I don't use tanning beds anymore and I rarely am outside long enough for a tan but I still enjoy the occasional weekend sunning on the beach. I do have documented vit D deficiency so I try to get some sun in the summer. I supplement in the winter since I'm so far north I was told there wasn't enough sun at the right angle to produce vit D in most people during the winter months. I actually looked into tanning beds as a form of vit D supplementation and I'm not convinced it's a viable option because of the whole 'diminishing returns' thing. I will say like the tanning addicts, I always felt a sense of well being when I tanned. I was just able to weigh pros and cons and try to be reasonable about it.

That said, my SIL is half black and she likes to sit in the sun because she likes being darker (she thinks her skin is a bit yellow when she doesn't tan). I think it's personal preference and societal norms. 120 years ago women were still wearing bonnets to keep their faces as white as possible because that was the fashion back then.