The Next Generation — Young Nudists on True Nudists

supernaturalOriginal Poster

Jul 2, 2011

Hi all, if this conversatino goes like anything like previous posts to the forum I run the risk of a lot of negativity and put downs, I hope this won't be the case and it turns into a sensible debate..anyway..my point.

I read an article online a few weeks back (I can't find anymore) that the naturist community is hoping to appeal to a younger new generation of nudists and they stated the community numbers are dwildering. Does anyone else feel this is the case? After reading through some of the forums on here I'm not surprised that the younger community is turned off by some of the negativity that is clearly emulated by some users, it's like our parents squabbling at home. Although I don't claim to be a voice for the youth (I am 34) I do feel the community isn't always tolerant of younger peoples personalities as with every community for us to survive we need to evolve and embrace but most important of all we need to stick to the ideals that make us who we are. And never waver on what being a nudist is about. I go to a regular monthly swim, and I'm clearly one of the youngest ones there and no matter how often I try to join in conversation I feel because I'm younger they're just not interested, I feel isolated but I am persistant as this is a community I want to be part of.
So how do we embrace and appeal to the younger people of the community? If you are young, do you feel the same way? Hope we can get a sensilbe conversatino going for once on this forum instead of it being a place of attack and negativity, there is a good saying going round the uk at the minute, "we're in this together".
Thanks for listening to my waffle

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Replies

NE
new24this
Jul 27, 2011
Hello
As a 24yr old nudist ive not always been welcomed into the nudist lifestyle! The first nudist beach i went to was Studland bay and was asked by a grumpy old man if i was old enough to be out walking nude on a nude beach, and if my mother new i was out. He advised me i would be safer on the flat part of the beach as apposed to the sand dunes. I assured him i was fine and without doubt safe where i was and he if wanted to continue his walk and move away from me i would be alot happier. Maybe its attitudes like this putting younger people off. Ive since been to another nudist beach Holkham in Norfolk and had a lovely time and spent a good hour talking to some other nudists. Just a though!!
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RadManYo
Jul 27, 2011
Alright alright, lemme throw my 2 cents into this discussion.
I hate thinking this way, but, while the naturist community as a whole may be attempting to the younger generations, I'm sure there are older nudists who couldn't care less about the future of nudism as a whole. It has become their own lil social gathering, where they can mingle with people their own age, and don't have to worry about the young ruining ther good times. The generation gap creates fricton between the older ones and the younger ones; older nudsts don't let the younger ones feel included, and thus the younger leaves for being an outcast.
IMO, one of the reasons I think a lot of young people don't engage in nudity because they have learned that clothes show off their individuality. Fashions, colors, brands, accessories, these all help show off who they are to the public eye. Heck, this is also the number one reason why student would resist uniforms at school. Funny thing is, those who conformed to uniforms, managed to click and make friends to people they would've never befriended before due to their differences in styles, thus their message to the public eye. You can say nudism is a step above uniforms, we all still overall look the same in our birthday suits. While nudism takes strips away our clothing, it allows for your true personality to shine, without prejudice made from your clothing. On the contrary, a lot of young people believe the more alike we look, the less individualized we are (kinda like robots or clones or something lol), and many many people don't want to give up that.
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JU
justbeyourself
Jul 27, 2011
Did you ever get one of those offers from companies advertising discounted rates for new customers, but you don't qualify because you're an existing loyal customer? The company, would rather reward a bargain hunting unknown, more than the people that sustain it's profit margins year after year. Those adds are insulting to loyal clients whose only consolation is next month's full rate bill.

An organization really has two fronts to watch; new prospects, and it's existing base. Just as important as getting new clients is keeping the ones you have, for what good is new clientele if attrition robs your base? It's not unlike bailing water out of a boat with holes in it.

I see a recurring theme; nudism offers all sorts of lofty ideas, and freedom from the status quo, but that's only if you qualify for status of couple, or female. Everyone else will be treated differently. It seems to me that if your product has value, then it doesn't need to be prorated. Otherwise the same widget that you're trying to sell me for twice the price you're selling it to my neighbor for, just went down in value. Unless you're trying to say that I'm not welcome...

On the other hand, the market will determine if your price structure works or not. But if it's a business pursuit, then wouldn't it make sense to gain as much market share as possible? How long can you beat a dead horse? Sure it would be great to have a perfectly balanced co-ed utopia of nudists, but is that possible without extreme prejudice? If there are disproportionately more men interested in nudism, then as a business, that's your target audience.

For me, the current attitude toward males fails the social, and economic litmus.
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MI
Michael
Jul 28, 2011
[quote]Alright alright, lemme throw my 2 cents into this discussion. I hate thinking this way, but, while the naturist community as a whole may be attempting to the younger generations, I'm sure there are older nudists who couldn't care less about the future of nudism as a whole. It has become their own lil social gathering, where they can mingle with people their own age, and don't have to worry about the young ruining ther good times. The generation gap creates fricton between the older ones and the younger ones; older nudsts don't let the younger ones feel included, and thus the younger leaves for being an outcast. IMO, one of the reasons I think a lot of young people don't engage in nudity because they have learned that clothes show off their individuality. Fashions, colors, brands, accessories, these all help show off who they are to the public eye. Heck, this is also the number one reason why student would resist uniforms at school. Funny thing is, those who conformed to uniforms, managed to click and make friends to people they would've never befriended before due to their differences in styles, thus their message to the public eye. You can say nudism is a step above uniforms, we all still overall look the same in our birthday suits. While nudism takes strips away our clothing, it allows for your true personality to shine, without prejudice made from your clothing. On the contrary, a lot of young people believe the more alike we look, the less individualized we are (kinda like robots or clones or something lol), and many many people don't want to give up that.[/quote] That's a great point. I think it's also fair to point out that there are some antiquated ideas in some places still about tattoos and piercings, which more and more people are starting to have. Hell even my dad is getting a tattoo soon. It's also possible that people don't like the vulnerability of being nude. There's an armor to clothes, I'll find an example...That's one of the cast members of glee, but it works. You look at someone like this and you kind of get a feel of the attitude and the persona she at least wants people to see. People like self-expression, and as much as it draws like-minded people to you, it keeps people who aren't like you away. Is it a sign of... insecurity? Maybe, but you also can't force someone out of their shell... actually that's a fairly literal statement there since you're asking them to shed the shell of "this is how I express myself". Older people don't care as much, they start to realize at the end of the day it doesn't much matter what people think of you... except maybe professionally.
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Shane
Jul 28, 2011
^Since when could we imbed pictures? And I think she would qualify as a hipster.
But seriously. I'm not defined by my clothes. Hell, you can't even classify me by appearances. I'm bust a bearded guy with glasses. But I guess a lot of people in my age group are overly hung up on appearances.
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Shane
Jul 29, 2011
If I had to get rid of my beard and classes, I would have to resort to clothing to express who I am and try to stand out. But since I'm always that "bearded guy with the glasses", I have never really cared much for clothing. As long as I look 'decent', then it didn't matter what I wore. But in a nudist environment, I'd still be the bearded guy with the glasses instead of the guy in the Wal-Mart shirt. And Wal-Mart does have some cool shirts. I know that because I have to wear clothes.
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RA
RadManYo
Jul 29, 2011
[quote]^Since when could we imbed pictures? And I think she would qualify as a hipster. But seriously. I'm not defined by my clothes. Hell, you can't even classify me by appearances. I'm bust a bearded guy with glasses. But I guess a lot of people in my age group are overly hung up on appearances.[/quote][quote]If I had to get rid of my beard and classes, I would have to resort to clothing to express who I am and try to stand out. But since I'm always that "bearded guy with the glasses", I have never really cared much for clothing. As long as I look 'decent', then it didn't matter what I wore. But in a nudist environment, I'd still be the bearded guy with the glasses instead of the guy in the Wal-Mart shirt. And Wal-Mart does have some cool shirts. I know that because I have to wear clothes.[/quote] I pretty much feel the same man. Even though I had no beard, I feel like I am me while I got my glasses and my senior ring on. Without these 2 accessories, ironically, I feel naked lol. Heck, when I was working witha photographer for nude shoots, during the breaks, I magically found my ring back on my finger lol.
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SH
Shane
Jul 29, 2011
And not like you can just change the thoughts of an entire generation. I guess you can only try to change a few at a time. And I'm gonna see how this picture thing works.
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MI
Michael
Jul 30, 2011
[quote]If I had to get rid of my beard and classes, I would have to resort to clothing to express who I am and try to stand out. But since I'm always that "bearded guy with the glasses", I have never really cared much for clothing. As long as I look 'decent', then it didn't matter what I wore. But in a nudist environment, I'd still be the bearded guy with the glasses instead of the guy in the Wal-Mart shirt. And Wal-Mart does have some cool shirts. I know that because I have to wear clothes.[/quote] This is what I'm saying though. If you were told you had to be clean shaven and you had to remove your glasses, you'd feel like you'd have been robbed of your identity, you'd need some sort of reason to understand why it's important to remove the things you consider so self-identifying in order to experience something people are telling you is so great.
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SH
Shane
Aug 8, 2011
Clothes aren't what define me. My natural physical attributes do.
I recall when I had to shave for school. Worst year of my life.
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Shane
Aug 17, 2011
It would be nice if this thread didn't die.
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DW
Dario Western
Aug 17, 2011
[quote]I think that most young people see the lifestyle as "Wierd" & associate it with sex!! We need to break that association![/quote] Strangely enough, young people don't think there's anything wrong with sex.
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Shane
Aug 17, 2011
The amount of people older 25 in this thread is disturbing.
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SH
Shane
Aug 20, 2011
Jim Morrison?
I doubt his voice is even heard any more.
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DW
Dario Western
Aug 23, 2011
[quote]Jim Morrison? I doubt his voice is even heard any more.[/quote] You kidding? The Doors are one of the most legendary and inspirational rock bands ever, mate. ;-)
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JA
jason
Aug 23, 2011
jim morrison's voice not heard anymore? maybe if you live in the mountainous border region of afghanistan/pakistan.
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Shane
Sep 6, 2011
And bump
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ME
Member
Sep 14, 2011
At my age (LOL) I doubt that I really qualify to be in the young nudist room. However, one thing that I find very nice about TN, is that there is a lot of diversity and participation by all ages, races, orientations, etc. I was absolutely a confirmed nudist when I was just starting college (and younger!), but not very social and really didn't discuss it with others. If I have one regret or thing that I would change, would have been to experience and participate in social nudity much sooner than I did. I am definitely glad that I found it today. And perhaps there just weren't the resources that there are available today discussing the positiveness of the lifestyle, etc. I thank TN for that and also all of my wonderful nudist friends over the years that helped me to grow the lifestyle to it's fullest. It may sound trite, but if you want to try - go for it. Don't worry - chances are you will really enjoy the freedom! And if you are comfortable to your part to introduce others. I applaud all nudists, but especially those who are younger without a support group and/or even those just thinking of trying it. And thanks to TN for all their good work too!
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ME
Member
Sep 15, 2011
I'm definitely not young, so I'm keeping my mouth shut on this debate - except to say that I enjoy reading all the contributions.
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NS
nswkiwi42
Oct 2, 2011
At the age of 26, I would call my self a young nudist, and for as long as I can remember, I have seen myself this way when ever I have had the opportunity to get my clothes off I have.
I think the biggest barrier to the younger generation taking part in social nudity is sterotypes, as someone mentioned earlier, If two guys get naked together it is seen as gay, if a guy and a girl get naked together there is something sexual going on there....
99% of the time I have been naked, It has been alone, or at home with my wife, the 1% of time that I am naked, and in a social setting, I have had bad experiences, 1. (which wasnt really a social nude thing) Was sunbathing on a local nude beach, and this guy I knew from a group walked past (fully clothed), and started chatting to me, which was fine I had no problem chatting to someone while I was sunbathing, he sat down next to me, and after talking for about 5 min, I noticed that he had an erection and had his hands down his pants. 2. While in another country I went to a nude beach in the area for a long time I was there I was the only one there, another guy showed up, just as I was setting my camera up to take some photos of myself, the other guy offered to take the photos for me, I kindly declined, and we started having some casual conversation, and the photos came up, he asked me if I was taking them for the website Gaydar, I said no, just for my wife, then he blantatly said, you have a beautiful cock. After he said that, I went for a swim, then got out of there. And 3. As mentioned in the conduct and etiquette thread, while on the beach this guy was lying on a lounger blantantly masturbating.
If these 3 things can happen to a young guy on the beach, I can see why the sterotypes get used for nudists, and defiantly why females seem to stay away from beaches.
Although I am straight and happily married, when messaging people on here, just to try and make some friends, I feel like if I message a guy they will think I am gay and hitting on them, and if I message a girl, they will just think im trying to either perve at them, or get some.
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