Getting the younger crowd involved ...
Lots of talk about the greying and dying off of nudism because the younger crowd isn't getting involved.What are some of this group's member's thoughts on why we can't seem to get the 20-30 somethings involved in nudism.
i think the main reason has nothing to do with being nude. i belife it is because the young generatupions wants nothing to fo with just Bout Nything, vlubs, fratrnities, etc. they just want to stay to their sekves.
At our local club, I've noticed a younger membership increase of recent. The tuner 35 crowd. I think it goes in ccycle and depends upon other local interests. The clothing optional pool at the Country club closed a year ago and has shifted many who lived and enjoyed the city to the club about a half hour north. It's a matter of convenience and access. We need more venues and activities in the cities where the younger crowd gathers.
Aside from the previous poster's very valid points I might add that nudism/naturism is a foreign concept to them. They seldom hear about it; I'd venture to say 99% if asked what naturism is would respond that it has something to do with flowers, trees, and wildlife.
Where are our national orgs in utilizing the most obvious method out there (social media) to connect with young people? Sure, they have a cursory presence but they are dropping the ball at their own peril. Add to this the never ending onslaught of Victorian influence and you have the recipe for the eventual downfall of nudism as we know it.
In Australia, there are more younger people becoming nudists, but not joining clubs because of the gender balance requirement and maybe cost. But the Melbourne social nudist group get together with parties, activities etc very regularly. Maybe as Melbourne is a reputed social centre (like Sydney), partying is de rigour!Recently the two gender balance clubs have suddenly realised that they will die without new nudist blood. So a softening of policy has started, but it may be too late for those clubs.
H&E does a regular feature "The Nude World Atlas". Recently it
covered nudism in the UK noting it is centred mainly in nudist
clubs, most of which are suffering from aging membership. In the
same issue was a question and answer article in which the
questioner gave his credentials as a UK nudist of 40 years and
lamenting the changes. He even criticised British Naturism (BN) for
being less tied to those clubs. I think that says it all!
Just think about life 40 years ago - in 1976. Low cost flights and
holidays abroad were unknown as was the internet, video recording
and mobile phones. Here in UK colour TV, electronic games and theme
parks were rare. People were content with one annual
holidayin a wet UK beach resort or a camp site.How many
nudist clubs have little more than a campsite, aswimming
pool, lots of grass and a large hut - little different from the
1970's? Fortunately they are putting on events, gentle
gamesand mature entertainment. But is it enough to attract
the younger generations?
I'm on a dares website full of young people who are more than happy
to get naked as a dare or for fun. They are nudist-in-the-making.
The answer might be to liven up the nudist resorts. The Cap d'Agde
in France is thronged with young people enjoying its facilities,
rich variety of dining and drinking places and the night life.
Fortunately BN is organising fun events such as at Alton Towers and
their group holidays. So let's portray nudism as fun in line with
modern entertainment and holiday resorts enjoyed by younger
generations, not just sitting on the grass or beach with our
clothes off. Oh, and our clubs and resorts do have to open their
doors to them and to tolerate lively youngsters enjoying themselves.
Must be different down in your area. At my local club it was always people my age 50's to 80's for many years. You could count the younger members on your fingers. Then there was fighting with members, one side being dull old type people, and the other side being old young at heart type people. People would fight because membership was dropping because the club had become boring. One side would say this is the way things are and will be because it has always been that way. Why change. Other side would say lets light a fire under everybody's ass and bring some life to the club. Whole lot of fights went round and round till a huge part of the membership just up and quit the club. Most of the time in this scenario a new club would start apart from the old club. But this time those people just went home and retired to being just Home Nudists. So the "Young at Heart" people who were left brainstormed, let their hair down and made the place fun. More and more events, live bands, potlucks, chili contests, auctions, volleyball nights, etc, etc. There is always something going on every two weeks all year round. Now our membership grows by at least 20 people a month. 1/3 of the membership are 50's to 60's, (handful are older) and 2/3 are 30's to 40's. Both age groups get along great and from watching the interaction you would never know there was a difference in age. Being around this younger group is a blast and I have great times there. If you want to reach the younger crowd you have to stop thinking your old and start thinking young! When you talk or chat with them don't come across like your a parent or grandparent, instead be on their level. You ain't dead yet!!!! Crank that music on, feel the beat, break out the wine tasting, and start the dancing! Trust me......the younger crowd will think your pretty cool and jump right in there with you!
We see younger nudists, or at least younger nudes all the time at the beach. The thing is, the younger nudists want no part in resorts. Just like a church is not religion, a resort is not nudism. There's many ways to practice both without belonging to either.Resorts owners will have to make a foundational change in their thinking to attract younger nudists, many of whom don't even like the idea of being called a nudist, naturist, or anything similar. We have many younger friends on Twitter who are clothes free adherents, and they all tell the same story as to why they don't like the resorts.1. Money. Resorts are expensive, and kids can go to a beach for free.2. Rules. Younger people don't like the restrictions they feel under at resorts. Not about sex, but about the things like like to do to enjoy themselves. Smoke some weed, drink a beer if they're under 21. The feel they're under parental observation at resorts.3. Digital access. Resorts need to abandon the rules about photography. Maybe a common sense photograph no one without permission, but that's all. Generation digital live their lives online, share online, etc. it's how they communicate and are NOT going to change for a resort they done feel comfortable in to begin with. They don't need the resorts as much as the resorts need them.Nudism will survive just fine, but the whole AANR/Resort model is doomed unless they give the kids what the kids want.
I agree, mostly ... even though we are older, we still are fine with these younger people getting to do what they'd like but with respect towards the older crowd that has moved past the partying days. I love music, most music ... but I/we don't want to hear it blaring at 11 pm at night. There really needs to be some give and take with both sides on the party atmosphere the younger people want and respect for the older people or the non partying types.
I've said this for years now. The cell phone, tablet restrictions are absolutely archaic. Young people live on their phones and the older nudist really have to get over the fact or myth that these young people want nude pictures of them on their phones. I/we refuse to leave our phones in the car. I hate to admit it but we are attached to them for more important reasons than taking pictures of others we don't want to have naked pictures of. We have kids and we have grandkids and to hell with some stupid rules or the paranoia of being photographed with a cell phone. We want and need to be accessible to our kids and grandkids if they need us and that' the main reason we keep our phones with us.
When we get a phone call, we leave the area. The most important reason ... we don't want or need anyone around us to listen to our phone conversations. They are private. Another reason, we think listening to someone talk on the cell phone is annoying as hell. Yet, many people, including nudists, think everyone needs to listen to them shout in the cell phone. When these resorts and clubs start treating people like adults, they'll see the changes they are hoping for but if they continue to stick with some of these dumb rules, they'll miss out on many older and younger people joining and visiting.
I agree with the comments about digital access, this is 2016. We visit nude beaches a lot and people use phones, tablets and occasionally laptops at them, some people want to stay connected. I'm not one of them, I'm too connected during my working day, I want to get away from that when relaxing, I quite often switch my phone off when I'm socialising, if I'm talking to other people I prefer to continue those conversations than be interrupted by another one, I can catch up through the answering service/texts later. However I have no problem with others wanting to be in constant contact with the whole world while at nudist beaches or clubs, as long as they don't keep saying loudly 'I/we're at the beach....etc'. I accept that there are a small minority who will abuse this and sneak photos of nudists, which could be a big problem for those who keep their nudism quiet. Personally, I don't care, I'm recognisably nude on here, a few more photos wouldn't make any difference, I'm open about being a nudist, its never been a problem
We're meeting some friends in the near future at a nudist spa, we hadn't been there for some time and I was looking at the website and started reading the list of dos and don'ts. I've never been a great fan of long lists of rules, I'm still not. I don't want to grow up! I'll note the important points but I felt there were too many rules for this club. I'm used to being free of rules at nude beaches. We respect others there, people mostly reciprocate, the few who don't usually get the message quite quickly.
I'm inclined to think that these points are among others which put people off from joining organised/paid for nudism.
I agree with Rabbit. Today's younger crowd seems more interested in letting everyone know exactly what they are doing. With these Twitter and Instagram accounts, they don't let a trip to the toilet happen without alerting everyone!
Simple, just as stated by Rabbit ... keep that stuff off social media. No Twitter, No Instagram, NO Facebook ... don't stop living a part of your life because you're afraid of it being leaked on social media ... keep it off social media in the first place!
I just think we all are becoming too addicted to technology. It is not necessary to bring it everywhere, time to relax and unplug, naked or not! It seems contradictory to me to be natural and nude, and plugged in as well! Time to shed all ties to the textile world should be welcomed, including the addiction to technology. Nudism/naturism and technology can go side by side, but there is no need to have it present at all times. The younger crowd seems to be lacking in social skills and communication, perhaps less of a stranglehold of technology would be a good thing, simpler activities like actual time with other nudists, without a device,would be a good start.
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