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).

society overall would be better if acholic beverages were none existent

I asked dd & her friends this a while ago and then there was a conversation at work about it

Dd and friends are 20 and at uni. They prefer to stay in and have people round if they are drinking. Because it’s cheaper, less chance of being sexually assaulted with a select few people round (that was real gut punch especially when dd said how common it is at uni), they don’t like clubs and only go to pubs if there’s something on like a these night or pub quiz. She says in her uni town she can go get something to eat, a drink and a night entertainment at Spoons, for the same cost as entry and a drink at a club.

They are all wanting professional careers and all worry they will do something stupid on camera, if they get completely drunk. Again, less risk in their house. Not zero risk. But less.

A lot of this was echoed when we had the conversation at work.

Agree. My dd 20 is very aware of drink spiking much more so than me at her age. It is terrifying. I hope she looks out for her friends and they look out for her when they go out to pubs.

Must remind myself to remind her when she next comes home to be vigilant.

I’m not that young, and I don’t really see the point in just one, and once I started getting hangovers it really wasn’t worth getting drunk for the misery afterwards.

How does one glass of wine change an evening meal? If you’re missing the taste then can you substitute for alcohol free? If you’re missing the buzz, surely it’s more psychological if you’re just talking about one glass?!

Yes, it's just changes in culture. I remember in the 90s when I was in the middle of my pubbing, clubbing and gigging years, trying to describe what my nights out consisted of to my auntie who'd never had children and had married a much older man so was perhaps a bit out of touch with young people in some ways, and what they did culturally. She was shocked when I told her that we didn't have to wait to be asked to what she called a "dance" by a "young man", we could just go and have a good time with our mates, and get drunk down the pub first before the nightclub if we wanted to. She didn't understand the current fashion at all (height of grunge) - in her day it was all 50s style dresses and heels and the men made themselves look as smart as possible. If you wanted to dance you had to wait to be asked in a fairly formal way so she was just gob smacked when I told her how I quite enjoyed a mosh in rock club.

She looked horrified at all this and it stuck in my memory ever since that she looked like she felt sorry for me and that in her view it just wasn't an enjoyable night out at all. Clearly she thought her way of doing her early 20s was the right way, yet I was living my best life and still look back on that time so wistfully.

I have to remind myself of that conversation when I find myself thinking that my kids' generation doesn't seem to be having loads of fun or a good time. I guess they are in THEIR way, and it will be different to mine. And yes, their idea of a good time does not have to mean alcohol, I suppose!

My DS is 17. He has a drink occasionally but can generally take it or leave it. He says teenagers don't drink now as their drunk behaviour would just get recorded and shared all over social media and it would be too embarrassing.

My dcs are late twenties and only drink occasionally. They are both very fit and health conscious and just see it as a poison. That said they drank at university but aren't bothered by it.
Their friends are the same.

Interesting, I never noticed this. It's only the older generations like Gen X brag about the love of alcohol and being very drunk was the cool thing. You don't hear this from the younger generations.

I also don’t see the point of one glass of wine every night. Surely it’s not doing anything? Just switch to a non-alcoholic version if you like the taste.

Agree with this. (1) health and wellbeing and (2) social media

I’m teetotal and you’d probably consider me “young”.

I am definitely not missing out on anything (and my evening meals are great). Reasons include

• Family history of alcoholism / aggressive behaviours when drunk
• Physical health - I don’t need to expand on the benefits of abstaining from alcohol
• Mind at 100% - I don’t want to ingest substances that can be so harmful to my brain. I want my neurons to work at their highest capacity, and I incidentally also need them to do that for the job I do, so I’m not about to choose to negatively impact my performance by regularly drinking alcohol.
• Cost

I actually don’t quite get why people think those of us who don’t drink are missing out on so much. My life is great without alcohol, so I genuinely am surprised when I hear these statements.

It’s expensive, slows you down, think younger generation are more interested in health, exercise and the environment, more things to do outside of going to the pub and drinking esp when comparing to the baby boomer generation 🤷🏻‍♀️

I hate the taste of wine.

An evening meal with only wine would be crap for me.

Spot on from my experience. And I can honestly say that I do have lot of experience working with young people. My kids are in mid twenties and will have a drink now and then as it’s a good way to let your hair down for some of us. They are well functioning adults with jobs and responsibilities. But indeed not everyone has to enjoy alcohol but it shouldn’t be out of fear IMO.

💯

They're all vaping instead 🤣

The correct question should be, why do people drink or feel the need to drink alcohol

it is a carcinogen btw

Our youngsters enjoy drinking. 🤷‍♀️

It’s weird how wine culture has been so normal. But if you are knocking back a few cans that is looked down upon.

Alcohol is bizarre. It’s so dangerous yet it’s so acceptable to go out and get off your face every weekend and then down a few bottles during the week.

I’ve also been watching old episodes of crimewatch UK from the 80s and omg drinking and going to the pub all the time just seemed to be so standard, it didn’t come across as if I people did much else activity wise!

I do think, like fake meat things for vegans, alcohol free versions of wine and beer just aren’t as nice (and often taste like cheap beer/wine- which I won’t drink).

so those who never drink - what would you have to accompany traditionally red wine paired meals? Things like steak, stews, roast dinner with red meat - sweet drinks always seem wrong with hearty, heavy meals. Is it just water on your table for dinner?

Several reasons:

1. We now know the risks of giving young people alcohol. In 1960's I first had (very, very weak) Martini as a 4 year old A glass of wine with a special ocassion dinner was seen as norm (by my parents) from the age of 10. I first felt intoxicated at age 12 when (at a family dinner party) the host unthinkingly gave me a much stronger Martini, and a glass of wine. tbh it was heady stuff, my cousin and I giggled and giggled and felt funny and happy and strange. That's the elusive 'high' and that's why I'd never give alcohol to my dgc.

2. When I was a teenager, restricting alcohol sales was (perhaps) asking how old you were. There was no id. You just got the oldest looking of your friends to buy the group carry-out.

3. Alcohol was commonplace but you had to be in with a really different crowd to be involved in drugs. For my group that was dangerous and scary and brushing too close with some very dodgy people or gangs.

I'd like to think that young people today have different values, live clean. But I suspect that some of the change is that legal substances are very controlled (it's pretty hard to buy a bottle of wine for a family dinner if you've got a 16 year old in tow at the supermarket!) but illegal substances are much more widespread and tolerated.

The same applies to the current debate on smoking ban. As I go about my life I rarely smell tobacco smoke, but my goodness, weed is ubixuitous!

I just drink water, I love water. Food doesn’t need ‘pairing’ with wine, that was invented to sell you more things.

Whatever you want to drink is fine with any food.

Sick of seeing drunk parents.
More health conscious
Act of rebellion to not drink
Better options now

I haven't drank in 3 years despite being a heavy drinker in my 20s. My brother is a lot younger and we hang out loads and alcohol just isn't really a factor in his life he has loads of hobbies and would rather spend on nice food I think

Carcinogen is also food we eat, mobiles, laptops,PCs, vapes, and many others things in our environment. All we can do is looking after ourselves and our families the best we can. I do love a glass of wine now and then, that’s all.