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Many people who
investigate naturism and/or social nudity a little
are surprised to find that (in Holland, at least)
it seems to be something that appeals mostly to
people over 36. This have not to be so, and it is
something that needs to change in order for the
pleasures of clothes-freedom to be available to as
many people as possible. Young people who have
looked into nudism and naturism or visited nude
beaches are often dismayed to find relatively few
in their own age group. Many (most?) others never
even give the possibility of social nudity a
thought since it seems to be so far outside the
norms of society as they have experienced it.
Yet there are reasons why one might expect young
people to be more inclined to tolerate and have an
interest in nakedness than older folks:
1.Being naked is pleasurable and fun - and young
people especially like what's fun.
2.Young people have the time and inclination to
enjoy life and have fun. (They may feel that they
have little free time - but they will have even
less time when they are deeply involved with a
career and have a family to support!)
3.Young people have had less time to become
entangled in social structures that might
discourage an interest in nudity (e. g. a career,
the rat race, kids of their own, etc.)
4.Having had less time to internalize social
taboos, young people ought to be more daring and
more inclined to try new and unusual things.
5.Young
people should be less worried about how
their bodies look since they haven't suffered the
bulges, sags, and scars of advancing age.
6.Young people are less likely to be in a
committed relationship where the other person is
strongly opposed to nudity.
Unfortunately for all concerned - both the younger
and the older generation - there is an unequal
representation of age groups among people who like
to be naked, especially in social situations. And
this under-representation itself becomes a
deterrent for young people to become involved with
social nudity, just as it does with other
demographic categories, such as women. It hasn't
always been this way. The generation of people who
came of age in the 60s and 70s were more at ease
with nudity (even though, statistically, interest
in nudity was still rather outside of the
mainstream). Perhaps this has more than a little
to do with why this generation, now middle-aged,
is more strongly represented in social nudity than
younger people.
People in this age range can recall (if they
happen to be male) when it was normal to swim
naked at the Y. They remember, fondly, the
clothing optional parties and skinny dipping that
weren't uncommon on campuses in the late 60s and
70s. They flocked in large numbers to the "free"
beaches - many of which still are "clothing
optional", but rather less heavily used. How can
young people become more involved in
clothes-freedom and social nudity? Here are some
general suggestions, both for young people
themselves, and for anyone who wants to see
clothes-freedom available to people of all ages.
It shouldn't be a secret that only certain older
folks know about.
1.No one's arm needs to be twisted to discover the
enjoyment of nakedness. Just trying it once in a
pleasant, supportive environment is usually enough
to convince someone who has no entrenched hang-ups
about nudity. The environment can be in the
privacy of one's own home. "Just do it."
2.Keep in mind that the world of clothes-freedom,
social nudity, naturism, or whatever it's called
is very diverse. it isn't just one thing. It isn't
(necessarily) a lifestyle you need to follow at
all times. There are many different ways to enjoy
it. There will be aspects of this world that are
more to your own personal liking than others. Try
to find what is right for you.
3.There are a number of specific, easy steps
anyone can take to begin experiencing and enjoying
the pleasures of clothes-freedom and social
nudity. Here is an organized list of suggestions
for how to get started that should be useful to
people of any age.
4.Read and think about some of the reasons why
young people are most often discouraged from
trying social nudity. There are specific
suggestions for overcoming each of the obstacles
and deterrents.
5.Look for online places where you can discuss
clothes-freedom, social nudity, and naturism with
others, many of whom have useful experience. There
are many alternatives, such as discussion forums,
chat rooms, mailing lists, and individual Web site
guest books. There are lists of such sites here.
6.Get involved with various online groups which
are specifically trying to help young people learn
about and experience clothes-freedom. Some of
these are places with the specific purpose of
helping young people with a common interest in
social nudity make contact with each other. You'll
find several such groups in the following list of
external links. (And getting involved means
actively taking part, not just talking about doing
something.) |
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