How come boys are not nervous/are confident wearing swimsuits in front of girls?

not sure exactly where to ask this. If there is a better place please move it there.

in gym class in 10th grade we do the swimming unit, girls wear one piece swimsuits and boys wear swim trunks. We practice different strokes and play some games.

I realized that the girls must love this class since they get to look at all the boys half naked and see their physique. Hell even the female teacher must love the class because of that (she's young as well and usually the teacher is female). Hell I would not be surprised if this whole class is just there to force boys to have to show their physique in front of all the girls. Lol. Also boys don't have as much to look at because girls are in one piece suits

how come boys don't seem nervous about having to be pretty much half naked in front of a bunch of girls and a female teacher? Even the ones that seem kind of overweight

We are talking about teenage boys here. Their hormones are surging and they want to be noticed when girls are around. It's called innate horniness!

i was NEVER comfortable ANYWHERE

I've noticed boys be both ways, insanely self-conscious or without any shame, and a lot of times in between. I hate to play this card, but it's also society's dealing. We've been telling girls that they're not right if they don't resemble ads and boys that they can't show emotion or self-doubt; so that may account to what you're seeing.

My first thought was that boys go shirtless with shorts all the time where I live, no big deal. So wearing swim shorts is kind of the same thing I guess. There is no pressure around it, just an everyday thing for them.

I'm surprised the swimming classes were coed. When I was in school our swimming units were on separate days. They didn't allow the girls to swim with the boys for obvious reasons

I had swimming in school in 4th grade but in college (albeit in the 1960s) the boys swam alone and in the nude!

We are. But we're guys so we have to put up a front and be macho. Especially when there are other guys around, cause the pressure is always on to 'be a man' and not acknowledge our insecurities let alone let them show. In a way, we're way more uncomfortable than you, because we're not even allowed to express our discomfort. As we get older, this gets worse before it gets better. That's why bars exist.

I was always in fairly good shape, etc. The fear of the pool started around 12 or so when my peers started being obsessed with working out, athleticism, etc. I was always skinny, and always wanted to have more muscles. This fear of your body being judged is something I am very familiar with. I think it is universal.

swimming classes? my last one was when I was 12.

I coach boys basketball and it's darn near impossible to play shirts and skins.

Webgoji - Okay, take off your shirts.
Kid 1 - No way!
Webgoji - Why?
Kid 2 - There are girls coach!
Webgoji - Dude, that's your mom.
Mom - Don't pretend you weren't running around in your underwear last night!

So I guess it just depends on the kids?

Lol, this thead's funnier than I expected.

But yeah, I'd blame society. You know, social norms and the pressure to conform and all that. Plus, I'd say that guys are quite a bit more easily stimulated visually than women are, sexually speaking. Guys get aroused by looks very easily, women do to, but not to the same extent or as often, usually. Therefore, women have way more pressure to look good so that they can impress and get the attention of the man. I mean, you don't see many men parading around in "revealing" clothing to get the attention of women. Guys try to show off their physical abilities to impress women. A lot of guys rarely put much thought into how they look or what they wear. That's my opinion anyway...

Because it's social norm for school grade children for boys to wear trunks and girls wear a one-piece. How can you tell one's level of confidence just by looking at their swimsuits?

Well...

Most guys wear shorts at some point. Their swim trunks just look like normal shorts. And it's acceptable for boys to go around without their shirts.

Girls, on the other hand, look like they're wearing their underwear when they're in swimsuits. Their bodies are MUCH more exposed because it is all skin tight and there's a lot more skin showing that isn't showing normally. Every single inch of leg is exposed.

There's a certain lack of self consciousness, with physical appearance, I am finding, raising three boys. They seem more conscious about who is faster, stronger. They grow up, in warmer weather, wearing swim shorts, to the beach.
I feel, it just is.

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I think some boys are as nervous they just don't express or show it as the girls do.

Then there are some who have always run around in shorts & no shirt from the time they started to run around (conditioning to feel it's normal)...but I still bet there are more who do feel anxious about it more than meats the eye.