It’s a different world.

Why young adults are not flocking to naturism.

Sometimes, when I am driving any distance for work, I will listen to some of the naturist podcasts that I subscribe to.  I will often hear something that triggers a thought process which in turn leads to a stream of consciousness resulting in a blog entry.

Other times, I will simply let my mind wander and a thought or an idea will grow into something that I feel will make an interesting subject for discussion.

Recently, I had the experience of listening to a couple of naturist podcasts, and while there was nothing specific that triggered a train of thought, upon reflection I was wondering how I could perhaps revisit some of my earlier articles and possibly put a new spin on them.

I was mulling over one of my first blogs and thinking if I should repost it as a way of keeping the content going especially now that my readership audience is much larger than it was in the early days.  I also thought that this was a lazy idea.  All my early content is freely available for anyone to read at any time.  Reposting early articles to try and fill a void was adding nothing new to the conversation and I felt would be cheating.

The ideas behind the early blog entry “Get thee to a Nudist Colony”, (link at the end), combined with comments in some recent podcasts and the ongoing issue of encouraging young people to join naturism, coalesced (or perhaps metastasised) into an idea that I thought might be an engaging topic.

I suggest that many young people can’t enjoy organised naturism, even if they understand the benefits and subscribe to the ideals.

Bare with me reader, as I articulate the complex train of thought that led to my hypothesis.

The podcasts I listened to on my recent drive, repeated the often-heard message that those who tried naturism found the experience liberating and empowering, that body shame was removed and that people found a new level of self-confidence that they didn’t know was possible.

In the blog that I considered republishing, I wrote about some of the reasons to try naturism and the benefits that naturism brings to many people.  Benefits such as being listened to for what you say rather than how you look. Like discovering that there is no perfect body, that advertisers have sold you a lie and that communities do exist where there is no body shame.

The message that naturism often spins is one of acceptance of the true self rather than the carefully curated image.

The problem is that this message is incompatible with the world in which our young people live.

There has for some time now been a feeling amongst the established naturist community that there needs to be a renewal of the way we do things so that we can make naturism more of an option for our younger generations.  It has been suggested that the failure to engage with younger naturists may mean the end of many organised naturist venues, as membership numbers dwindle.

There are lots of theories as to why young people are not engaging in naturism.  Some suggest that they are participating, they just don’t do it through organised clubs.  Some suggest that the club model offers nothing for younger people.  Some point to policies around the banning of phones (more specifically cameras) and some argue that in today’s connected world, areas with little or no wifi might be a big reason that young people don’t join in.

I have a different theory.  I believe that the core tenet of naturism is incompatible with the world in which our young people exist.

The very message that naturism sends is something that many young people are unlikely to identify with or are incapable of hearing.  Their whole world revolves around the idea of their value being tied to how they look.  We might all want to live in a world where body acceptance is normal and where people aren’t bothered by how they look but that is not the reality of the world in which they live.

Today’s Instagram and TikTok savvy youngsters define their very existence on the carefully curated and in many cases artificially altered images that they post to garner likes and comments which increase their followers, rankings and in some cases revenue.   

The world in which they live is driven by image, judgement and trends.  They might instinctively know that they should be valued by what they say rather than how they look, but that won’t get them “likes”.

They may understand the virtue of eliminating body shame, but their whole world is geared towards promoting images that perpetuate the shame culture.

Young people today are driven by the algorithms and technology that have become so much a part of their lives.  It is possible, even probable, that at some point in the future, they will realise that the pursuit of perfection is pointless.   

At that time, they may be more susceptible to the ideals and values that naturism offers, but until they reach that point of realisation, young people may be lost to us as a group.

All we can do is be there for them if and when they turn to us for a solution.  I fear that perhaps it will take some time and that when they are ready to hear our message, they may no longer be young adults.

In a world of algorithms hashtags and followers, know the true importance of human connection. - Anon.

Thank you for reading.  Have a comfortable day.

Links:

Get thee to a nudist colony