More Than a Handshake- A Change of Affection

I've noticed lately guys being overly friendly with each other. Let me backtrack; I am not sure overly friendly is the word because I don't think it is; just steeping outside of social norms. I am talking about instead of a handshake when seeing someone, you give them a hug. I'm not talking about anything romantic; just a quick, nice hello hug, if you will.

The other night when I saw Mike and friends, Mike T and I shook hands at first. The other Mike and I hugged. At the end of the night, Mike T and I hugged. There wasn't anything sexual involved- just good friends hugging. When I was in high school, The Mikes and I would shake each other's hands- a nice male handshake- looking each other in the eyes, tightly gripping each other's hands, and that was perfectly acceptable. Now, it is different; is it because of time, or because we're closer... or neither?

At work, there is a new guy named Carl. He is a hot filipino guy btw, with his Abercrombie clothes. Anyways, he always greets me with a smile and then just a friendly hug. I've known him since middle school believe it or not and this is a new thing for him- I'm saying within the past 6 months or so. I know he is a lot more outgoing than in middle or high school; so that can be attributed to his change in attitude/sudden hugging, maybe?

I notice at the high school I tutor at there are some senior football players and they're into hugging each other. These males who are thought to me the most masculine men in school hugging one another. Again, it is something that I've noticed this year. Just today, one of the seniors, J was in the room, C walks in and goes to his desk. J comes up and sort of swings around, putting his arm around C and eventually closing his arms to hug him. J moves from hugging him and the whole encounter may have lasted 8-10 seconds; then they make smalltalk about something in their Economics class.

None of these guys are gay or bi to my knowledge. Mike T had a girlfriend for a year in high school. He hasn't dated since then and we don't really talk about girls. The other Mike has not had a girlfriend. Both, to my knowledge are straight. Carl's myspace and facebook profiles both say he is straight and he has a girlfriend that I have met. The high schoolers I mentioned say in their myspace profiles they are straight. J has a girl he has liked for over a year and is going to prom with.

I guess what I'm getting at is this seems to be a new trend; is it that guys are suddenly more comfortable in hugging each other? I don't think it is that I'm becoming more aware of my surroundings and what other guys are doing. I know that in high school had I hugged Mike like when I saw him there would have been some stares and negative comments. So what caused this change and when did it become more socially acceptable for a guy to hug another guy? Am I just being overly sensitive to the issue and am suddenly noticing this since I'm accepting my sexuality and hugging [gay] male friends more and more? Not that I'm complaining about all of this... I enjoy hugs from males or females... I think it is great that guys are becoming comfortable enough to do this. But I guess I'm asking am I the only one seeing this?