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).

A little is most certainly not better than none! But congrats for trying to convince yourself.

But seriously, give it time, amazing benefits.

Important to note that there are zero calories in a joint of weed/snort of coke/tablets.

But....alcohol is full of them.

I'm sure you can figure it out.

Huh?

You said yourself "I've decided to go sober for a few weeks and it's NO FUN".

So you clearly do relate it to fun?

It was you that said it was no fun not drinking…

(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).

Lots of young people still drink but it's so expensive to go for a night out in a city, I don't think they can afford to do it as often as I did when I was young (5 nights a week)

The ones who do go out like drugs more.

The ones who don’t are chronically online and don’t have a need to drink as they don’t socialise in person with anyone in person.

I don't get wine cos I think it tastes awful. But what I do like is coffee. Not for the caffeine hit, not to wake me up. But I love a good coffee in my nice mug, and find the whole routine of making it and sitting with it lovely. When I was pregnant I went off everything, including coffee.

I missed it more than anything else. I would have been happy for most food to not come back to me, as long as coffee did. Thankfully, the day after she came out, DH brought me a coffee just how I like it and it was wonderful.

So I can kinda understand why you would miss something that is about enjoying the taste or the routine.

But you did say that no alcohol was "no fun" so you can see why people have said you might have a problem if you need it for fun.

Same things I drink all the time: water or squash.
If I'm out for a meal then maybe a fizzy drink or very occasionally a fancy mocktail.
But I don't think about what I'm eating 'pairing' with what I'm drinking, would never occur to me. Just drink what I fancy.

This

They wouldn't need a drink if they socialised in person either. It's perfectly possible to socialise without alcohol in your hand.

Is it???

My oldest doesn't drink. He can't comprehend how people knowingly put toxins into their bodies. He's very health conscious, goes to the gym and tracks diet etc, and is also horrified by smoking/vaping/drugs.

I suppose he's grown up around people who don't see the need to consume alcohol, so he's used to it. I don't drink and haven't since I was pregnant with him. His grandparents don't drink. He hasn't had that culture of needing alcohol to have fun or enjoy food.

We watched a documentary last night about how much alcohol related incidents cost the NHS and public services. Billions a year. It was extremely sobering (pun unintended) and actually made me feel quite angry. Vulnerable people are losing healthcare, social services, educational resources etc because of the amount of money being spent on alcohol related incidents. I wish it could be banned.

I drink whatever I fancy - coke, lemonade, sparkling water, fruit juice, mocktails?

I've never bought the idea that food needs to be "paired" with alcohol - it's just a (very successful) up-selling technique, lol. Like "flights of wine" etc.

Instead we have an epidemic of screen and sovisl media addicts....can't go anywhere without their phones

At least with alcohol it's over and done with in one hit

You do realise you can go out without drinking alcohol or doing drugs?

Bars and restaurants (and even clubs!) sell plenty of soft drinks. You can even (gasp) do things that don't involve any of those things - like days out, shopping, hiking, going to the beach, going for coffee/cake...

It's hard work to drink alcohol now. Constant ID requests mean you can't go out until EVERYONE in your group is of age. Lack of public transport means you can't get home cheaply after a few drinks. Cost of drinking out (and even entry into clubs) is too high. Easier and cheaper to muck about online or meet at the gym.

23 year old son and friends all drink. They all have pretty good jobs going on.

If alcohol was invented today, there is no way it would ever be made legal.

I suspect we'll look back on it in the same way we do cigarettes one day.

People who look at their phones or use social media generally aren't out fighting, abusing their partners, smashing stuff up, stealing things or other alcohol-fueled crime, though.

I hadn't noticed particularly but there have always been young people not keen on alcohol. I never was when young (though have had my moments), and my late husband only drank occasionally.

My son drank often as a teenager then calmed down and drinks rarely now (he's nearly 45).

Some do, some don't. Your impression depends on whom you mix with at any given time and will vary.

Teetotallers tend to be a lot fatter than moderate drinkers. Obviously there are many confounding variables.

Of course it is, people do it all the time? It’s not something new or revolutionary.

What is actually concerning is the amount of young people who feel like they can’t socialise in person. I’d argue that is more unhealthy than a few beers.

To a degree I think it is. My sons and their friends don’t go to pubs the way we used to years ago. My son would never go to a pub and just sit there drinking. He likes pool so will play that. We have a number of traditional ‘drinkers’ pubs in our town and they’ve never been in any of them.

But anonymously calling people pathetic online is admirable behaviour.

I didn't mean LITERALLY no fun I meant that it's a drag having to cut out something I enjoy. "Oh this is no fun". It's a turn of phrase.

I forget how literal some people are.

Also the high and mighties make me want to go and pour a big fuck-off glass of red.