Do you think younger generations are having less ‘fun’ in their 20s?

[Vanillapod4]

Inspired by a thread I saw about someone’s daughter marrying young which then led on to an interesting conversation about young people partying/travelling less due to being more aware of the need to save money for things like high housing costs. Do you think there is truth behind this from the young people you know?

I don't know if I count as one of the young people or the older people (I'm 33) but I think graduating into a recession, then brexit taking away opportunities has made people crave stability.

Most people I know had stopped travelling and were climbing the career ladder/getting married/buying first houses by mid-late 20s.

I think that’s true for people between 21-30 now. But the trend for the under 18s seems to have gone the other way - they have a much greater appetite for eating out / going on holiday. I presume because they are the first generation to benefit from having older parents so have more disposable cash than ever before.

Most people I know had stopped travelling and were climbing the career ladder/getting married/buying first houses by mid-late 20s.

30 here, I would say the above is true. A few people did continue to travel and then travelled more once they came back and realised it was 10x harder to 'catch up'. I see them as permanent nomads now because with this recent house price boom its now 50x harder if you didn't have existing equity

I work in a university, and even pre covid I think students were having a lot less fun than we used to when I was at uni. More of them still live at home (for cost reasons), and many of them work during term time (which was rare in my day - although we all worked in the holidays). And they're really aware of the debts piling up. It's all a bit more serious than it used to be.

I feel like young people are so obsessed now with not putting a foot wrong, lest they be completely crucified on social media, whether that be not looking perfect, not having perfect values, not saying the perfect thing every single time they open their mouth or write something down, that yes they probably have less fun.

They're having no bloody fun at all these days

Compared to when? Compared to those who were young in the 70s and 80s yes probably. But more fun than those born before 1940ish.

Yes, as smt we often say this at work. The 20 somethings are nowhere near as wild as we all were. We quietly feel sorry for them.

Interesting point about social media. The only real evidence of my partying is the odd poor quality photo from one of those single use cameras

If I compare my experience going to uni in the 90s no fees (I had to work but got a grant so was just bar work for food and books), I clubbed, partied and went on large group holidays to Tenerife. Post uni I lived a large shared house and partied lots and went on holiday twice a year all over the world, learning to scuba etc and all this on £12k. Got serious in my early 30s, saved bought a house. Can't imagine this generation being able to exist in such a free way and I didn't appreciate how lucky I was.

Yes, the under 30s and even early 20s seem more serious, more cautious, less likely to let their hair down, far more likely to live at home. When I was in my 20s there was a big post-work drinking culture, we would often have to drag ourselves to work the next day, feeling awful but with great stories to tell. I don't think my younger colleagues do this at all, even pre-covid. None of us moved back home after uni - it would have felt like failure, I think. Even though we had no money for the first few years, we had freedom and independence and that was far more important to us. I don't think my younger colleagues feel the same.

Yes, very similar here. Totally hedonistic way of life, with enough hard work thrown in to fund it. Absolutely loved it. We've been very lucky.

Obviously the pandemic is awful but no I’m not sure I’d agree aside from that.

I mean, fun is relative and everyone else’s idea of what fun was for me made me unhappy.

My mum was married at 22 in the 60s and that was normal.

DH and I always say we are the alcopop generation that ruined it for everyone else. I think our generation's 99p pints and other nonsense in the late 90s, early 2000s did lead to a backlash.

Interesting point about social media. The only real evidence of my partying is the odd poor quality photo from one of those single use cameras

Yes, it must be much more difficult to let go on a night out if you know that unflattering/incriminating photos could be all over the Internet by the following morning

@Letsgetreadytocrumble

Interesting point about social media. The only real evidence of my partying is the odd poor quality photo from one of those single use cameras

Yes, it must be much more difficult to let go on a night out if you know that unflattering/incriminating photos could be all over the Internet by the following morning

I an eternally grateful that the only evidence of my misspent youth are physical 6x4 photos sorted in the loft!