Krauts are becoming increasingly sour about stripping off, as Instagram and TikTok makes naturists insecure about their bodies, according to the president of a nudist org.
Social media sites have made thousands of Germans reconsider de-robing, as a mixture of impossible body standards and the fear of their bits being shared online has contributed to nudist numbers falling off a cliff in the one-time bastion of baring all. The problem is so severe that Deutscher Verband für Freikörperkultur, the body that oversees naturism in Germany, has seen membership tank – with numbers falling from 65,000 to 34,000 in just 25 years.
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Bosses have even had to cancel events planned to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year due to lack of interest. Members are terrified that compromising snaps will be shared online while campsite owners are swapping naked get-togethers for more lucrative ‘glamping’.
DFK President Alfred Sigloch moaned: ”We will fight to keep on board every naked person who wants to be with us. FKK (Freikörperkultur – meaning ‘naturist culture’) is an ancient culture that cannot and will not die.”
He also blasted social media’s influence, saying: “The rise of the cult of the perfect body on TikTok or Instagram is increasing the pressure to not want to undress.”
However, despite Sigloch’s worries, FKK is still “part of the national psyche” in Germany and the scene is still alive and well, as the lifestyle actually offers a break from body standards.
Johan, a member of an FKK club in Berlin, told EuroNews that despite the lifestyle being ‘more popular in the 70s’ it has a role in modern day life. He said: “These days with the pressure to conform to an almost impossible concept of bodily perfection, the variety of humans on show at the club is refreshing.”
And research on the subject agrees that being naked with like-minded individuals is actually good for body image.
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A 2017 study published in The Journal of Happiness Studies states that spending time naked with others can lead to improved body image, greater self-esteem, and higher levels of life satisfaction.
The lead researcher, Dr Keon West from Goldsmiths, University City of London, noted that “naturist environments help people see real, unfiltered bodies, which reduces anxiety around appearance.”
Nearly 600,000 Germans are registered at different FKK clubs around the country, according to a 2019 report by Lonely Planet.
And naturism, non-sexual social nudity, is practised by nearly nine million people across the UK.
Bromsgrove Advertiser reporter Charlotte Albutt stripped off for a charity swim, in conjunction with British Naturism and British Heart Foundation, in July, and said the experience helped her ‘reclaim’ her body.
“The biggest game changer for me was not being seen sexually despite being stark naked,” she said. “I find it is so easy to have your body sexualised when wearing clothes, let alone when you are naked.
“But this experience helped me reclaim my body in a way I never thought it would.”
British Naturism has been contacted for a British-centric view on the health of the movement on our shores.
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