The reduction of sun exposure is vicious -- for white people, especially pasty-white hackers like me, it can only take a few minutes to burn. So the medical community recommends we stay inside and lather up to stay pasty. And take a "pharmacopoeia" for the resulting depression, hypertension, cancer, reduced disease immunity...
But if I spend time outdoors year-round, my skin takes on an olive tone, my freckles get darker, and when summer comes around I can enjoy the sun without fear of burns. But that's free health care, and the medical industry makes money hand over fist with that pharmacopoeia.
I'm going to give the medical community the benefit of the doubt here, and particularly, the dermatological community. Skin cancer is something in their domain, and so of course it's a big deal for them, but I think they're missing the forest for the trees.
The other side of the argument is that you might not have visible burns, but you are still being exposed to high-energy radiation that will damage the DNA of skin cells, making you more prone to skin cancer. This risk can be somewhat mitigated by going for regular skin checks as you age. All things taken into consideration, I'm also in the "have fun in the sun" camp.
But if I spend time outdoors year-round, my skin takes on an olive tone, my freckles get darker, and when summer comes around I can enjoy the sun without fear of burns. But that's free health care, and the medical industry makes money hand over fist with that pharmacopoeia.