Tanning, whether it’s via the sun or via a machine, is in general bad for you. A tan is a defensive mechanism against sun damage. Sun damage on your skin increases the odds of developing skin cancer, amongst other effects. Most people would agree that skin cancer is in fact bad for you, thus I classify all tanning as being bad for you.
As with many things in life, we want what we don’t have. For instance, a tan is seen as desirable, perhaps partially because a tan sends a message that the person has the time or money to become tanned (whether this is via dedication, laying on the beach all day, etc). On the complete flip side, in India there is a huge market for skin whitening products, perhaps partially because white skin sends the message that the person has the time or money to stay out of the sun (implying they stay in a building versus doing hard work outside all day). But as a general observation, many people seem to want or desire what they don’t have. It’s “the grass is always greener” syndrome.