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I was in high school from 1968-1972. We had P.E. all 4 years and showered after class every day with 100+ other guys. It didn't seem unusual because it was the norm then. When I went on to college, the same occurred after sports, and later in life at gyms.
Traveling around the world and utilizing youth hostels was more of the same. Rarely individual showers and occasionally one shower for men and women (Scandinavia and Japan).
As I aged, I've noticed that younger generations are increasingly skittish about being naked in locker rooms, and that kids no longer routinely shower after P.E. classes. Some kids shower in their underwear. Team sports like football still shower together after practice and games. (I teach high school.)
Kind of surprising since kids from the last few decades were exposed to porn and have probably seen thousands of naked people onscreen. Maybe porn stars have made them feel inadequate?
There are other factors, but everyone carries a camera now. That's a pretty big deal.
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When the men who are doing this now were young men, they were subjected to older men who somehow felt free to sit around buck naked at the gym and in the sauna.
And when the young men of today are older, they'll do that too for some reason unbeknownst to women. We don't do that! Men of a certain age, for some reason, as they get unattractive and wrinkled, like to hang out naked together.
Sad to say this, but even talking to strangers in public has become abnormalized (or is it denormalized?) in my area, clothed or not. There are a few exceptions, most notably intoxicating bars or while walking your dog. Sometimes I feel envious of some other times and cultures where you could just go to town and strike up a conversation with a random person on the street.
Nakedness is only associated with weirdness in somewhat repressed societies due to the influence of religion? perhaps and paradoxically - with the obsession with sex?
Nakedness just coincidental to association with sex…
In a lot of societies being naked is just nothing more than being naked:to swim in the lake, to clean and relax in saunas - in Finland or in public bath house - in Russia or in onsen in Japan.
Men and women bathe separately however.. Some onsens could be mix-gender.
Germany didn’t even allow swimsuits in most of the swimming pools and saunas -it was considered unhygienic - but with the influx of the immigrants - with the majority Muslim - now require swimsuits in public pools and saunas.
Men in sauna in Finland
Last edited by L00k4ward; 12-18-2022 at 11:05 AM..
Naked in high school back in '63 was followed by naked in the navy in 63.
I showered in communal showers until '71 when I left the navy. It feels kind of odd now, so I use the privacy facilities at the gym.
I was recently reading about the history of the YMCA. In the course of that reading, I discovered that until the late 60s, and early 70s, the YMCA required males to swim naked (at least in some locations). That rabbit hole led me to articles and actual images of high school boys swimming naked at mixed gym meets - with parents watching. There are actual newspaper articles with photos of naked, high school boys standing next to coaches and high school girls in bathing suits. Just casually standing around naked - seemingly without any concern.
Perhaps this is why the Village People made a song about the YMCA?
This hasn't been brought up yet either, but many gyms now allow children in the facility as they have daycare options. In no way, shape or form would I want my child walking through a locker room to get to the restroom with nude grown men standing in front of a mirror, walking around talking to other men, etc. etc. with Mr. Schlong hanging out.
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Maybe porn stars have made them feel inadequate? 
Never knew this...
There are actual newspaper articles with photos of naked, high school boys standing next to coaches and high school girls in bathing suits. Just casually standing around naked - seemingly without any concern.