To wonder why the young people don't enjoy drinking alcohol

[OptimismvsRealism]

I mean I know some people have always not really liked it but why as a generation do they feel differently about it?

(Come to mind because I've decided to go sober for a few weeks and it's NO FUN and I want to know their secret).

I routinely assess a lot of young adults and they generally dont drink or are moderate drinkers. They are definitely more moderate in alcohol & substance consumption than those older than them. Don’t have a binge pattern of consumption

I studied this for an assignment for one of my MBA modules. Younger generations are embracing the sober curious movement. Gen Z and, to a lesser extent Millennials, are driving the increased sales in low and non-alcoholic drink alternatives. Millennials and Gen Z are not only increasingly health conscious but are also generally financially savvy with considerable purchasing power. Interest in non-alcoholic offerings has increased as flavours and options have improved and they tend to be very discerning as consumers and focussed on drinking smarter, drinking less.

The non/low alcohol drinks market is a huge growth opportunity for drinks manufacturers. Although interestingly, in August Manchester’s only alcohol-free bar announced its closure after being open less than a year. After lots of customers during dry January, once the warm weather arrived, along with the Euros, no one wanted to have their night out in a dry venue.

More to do now without getting smashed and making terrible decisions!

I spawned a rugby lad, unfortunately they love a drink. I used to have to go out to pick him up armed with towels and a bucket.

I can empathise, OP. Perimenopausal and my body seems to have lost its ability to process some things, one of them being alcohol. I've really cut back but it's the glass of wine with my dinner that I miss, or as I'm cooking. Once it's part of your routine it's hard to break the habit, even if it's not an actual addiction. My generation grew up watching Keith Flloyd swigging back the wine as he was cooking on telly. Everyone Corry or Eastenders seemed to have a pint after work. It was just normal but we had to overdo it, didn't we, not like our continental chums.

Young people now have grown up with influencers showing them the latest healthy eating or exercising fad (remember spiralisers?!), they're not watching videos on wine tasting, are they? But mainly I think it's cost.

People routinely used to chew tobacco in the early 19th century. We shrink back in horror at the very idea of that now. Young people now don't tend to take up smoking as much as when I was young, they can't believe that for their parents' generation smoking in workplaces and restaurants and on transport was routine, and even during pregnancy. I think that eventually it will be the same with alcohol. We'll look back and can't imagine that it was ever so commonplace to ingest such a toxic substance into our bodies, and that socialising revolved around it.

It's means you lose control

It's expensive

It ages you

It gives you a hangover

It's like smoking, it's seen as old fashioned

I’ve always thought it was because they look at my generation and think what a bunch of sad fuckers. My daughter’s partner is mid 20s and had to fly miles to be at his Dad’s funeral today which may be alcohol related, they don’t know yet Think DD is very relieved we don’t drink much these days.

Also alcohol tastes a bit shit when you first take try it and DS certainly can’t understand why people even try to get used to it knowing what it can do to you.

My 20 year old does have a drink sometimes but doesn't seem overly bothered either way.

I very rarely drink alcohol, when I did drink a bit more at university it often used to make me feel depressed rather than happy so over time I just lost interest.

Plus I find the whole culture around it very strange. To not be able to enjoy a meal or an outing without it?

Booze is expensive nowadays compared to 15 years ago.

can’t get a £1 drink anymore- it’s more like £8 for a drink so they don’t drink as much

My ds is 18 and doesn't drink. We don't so he wasn't brought up around it. We obviously gave him the choice and he's chosen not to. Some of his friends drink but none of them are interested in weed, pills or coke. They have full lives, jobs/education /interests and enjoy going to the gym.

I don’t know where these kids are. My children are at university and they and their friends seem to do pretty well with drinking alcohol. And they have the tales to tell….🤷🏼‍♀️

Many at uni don't seem to drink it that much. They just don't seem that interested.

It costs a fortune, doesn’t taste that great, and everyone films it when you do something stupid.

The expense?

They’re doing ket instead :)

I’m not ‘young’ anymore at 44 but I haven’t drank for years, not since my late 20s. I’ve got no interest in it beyond the occasional cocktail or glass of wine socially and even that is rare. I don’t really enjoy the taste of most alcoholic drinks and when I did have them it was to fit in at university and boost my then very low self esteem/confidence.

There is also a risk of drink spiking. This isn't a little experienced phenomenon. Probably any woman aged 25 years old has a good friend who has experienced this. Drug culture is very prevalent in young people hence there's always going to be a few young men within a 2m radius on a night out ( and even part of a woman's wider social circle) who would spike their drink. Those of you having daughters going to university please do constantly remind them, not to leave their drink unattended or even with someone else looking after it.

My 19 year old barely touches any alcohol. He just can't be bothered with it.... His words

This is it, it's just a backlash. In 10-15 years the kids will be fucking loaded all the time (eek, that'll be my kids)

I'm not remotely surprised young people are drinking less alcohol - or at least, they don't think it's the height of cool.

I grew up in the 90s and drinking - not just drinking but getting wasted, off your head, trashed, was really pushed on us as glamorous and even sophisticated. In retrospect that was all rather messed-up - just as much as previous generations being sold cigarettes as glamorous and sophisticated was.

An attitudinal shift isn't the same as a behavioural one. No one in my generation thought smoking was cool. A lot of my friends still smoked, because they liked it - but they didn't think it was cool. But in my early 20s almost everyone fell into the trap of thinking getting drunk was cool.

Getting drunk was fun for sure, can still be fun and I'm certainly not going to be teetotal any time soon. Love a nice glass of wine. But the 90s/00s cultural view of alcohol wasn't healthy, and I'm not surprised young people think "ugh, no" when they see their parents and their parents' generation behave in unedifying alcohol-influenced ways. I saw some unfit, red-faced 50-year-old men stumbling out of a pub at 11pm the other night, absolutely unable to control their bodies, one of them vomiting, and... I tried not to judge as I'm no stranger to that state but I thought, god, no wonder their kids think this sort of behaviour is uncool.

Maybe like I thought about my parents' friends who reeked of cigarette smoke, tbh.

Having said all that obviously plenty of young people still drink. They just seem to have a healthier attitude to it than we did.

Exactly

God I cringe when I think back to what 18 - 25 year old me did. The risks I took, the decisions I made, definitely as a result of losing control.

It was pre social media/Internet, so there is scant evidence (if any) of the stupid stuff I did.

I went out for a meal a couple of weeks ago, bought a round (pornstar martini for the pisstaker, glass of wine and two lemonades) barely any change from £30.

I rarely drink these days, I just don't enjoy it, pub culture isn't as big as it once was round here, neither is club culture.

And frankly hangovers are hideous, they are definitely not worth the money you spent to get one.

I’m 30, don’t drink, haven’t done drugs, never smoked. My parents don’t drink or smoke so I’ve just never been around it, and my now DHs mum died due to being an alcoholic so he is sober also.

There seems to be a certain group of young people today who basically never do anything due extreme forms of anxiety. They don’t leave the house, answer phones, meet in person, drink alcohol, try new foods, get a job.
They are very limited in life and arrested in their development as young adults, it’s very sad to see but swerving alcohol is probably the right thing for them to do as their lack of emotional resilience means they couldn’t cope with the hangover.

Kids can't get in to pubs and clubs at a young age anymore. In the 90's it was common to see 15 and 16yr olds in a pub, usually being kept an eye on by the older and wiser set. It's harder to buy in supermarkets so they aren't getting drunk in the local park.
By the time they hit 18 a bit of maturity has crept in, alongside A-levels and driving.