Alcohol since nearly the beginning of civilization has been the cornerstone of social gathering, conviviality, and celebration. Champagne toasts are the hallmark of weddings, beer saturates backyard Fourth of July celebrations and college football tailgates, and after-work cocktails are as commonplace as the early morning coffee run.Â
For our parents’ and grandparents’ generations, abstaining from alcohol for reasons other than addiction was practically unheard of, odd even. Increasingly, however, breaks from alcohol, such as Dry January, or avoiding alcohol completely has become more normalized.
A recent Gallup poll shows that the share of young adults under 35 who say they drink dropped 10 percentage points from 72% to 62%. Even more shocking, 30% of college students, stereotypically heavy consumers of alcohol, report they do not drink. On average, Generation Z currently consumes less alcohol than their parents’ generation.Â
These startling shifts in alcohol consumption among young adults have led publications to pontificate on the reasoning, while alcohol companies and bars scramble to offer more non-alcoholic choices. It is hard to pinpoint the exact cause, however.
As a greater share of states legalize the recreational use of marijuana, some point to the increased consumption of the drug as a reason for the fall in alcohol consumption rates among Generation Z. Around 36.5% of adults aged 18-25 consumed marijuana in the past year.Â
Among younger generations, there is also a notable increase in mental health awareness and a unique outlook on physical health that contrasts previous generations. When polled, 86% of Generation Z alcohol consumers believe their mental health is as significant as their physical health when considering the effect of alcohol.
Not only has alcohol been linked to mental complications, but it has also been linked to DNA aging, cognitive decline, and cardiovascular disease. The U.S Surgeon General caused a wave of panic when he announced that alcoholic beverages should carry cancer warnings, but this knowledge has been around for years and the younger generations, increasingly interested in living healthier lifestyles, may simply just be on the pulse.Â
Not all theories paint Generation Z in such a flattering light, as it has been posited that the increase in social media consumption and decrease in in-person socialization has led to less opportunities for youth to consume alcohol.
It is true: alcohol has historically been the salve of social connection and increasingly, members of Generation Z are opting to connect over Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat rather than a bar or house party. It has led the U.S Surgeon General to announce an advisory on the ‘Epidemic of Loneliness’, which is its own form of toxin. Loneliness, much like alcohol, has been associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
I am not arguing that Generation Z should embrace alcohol to avoid the pitfalls of loneliness perpetuated by our technological age, but I am also not advocating for using the avoidance of alcohol as an excuse for skipping out on crucial social connection.Â
Like many of my peers, I found myself consuming less alcohol this January and reveling in the benefits: gone was the Sunday morning hangxiety, I was sharper in my school work on weekends, but most notably, I felt as though I could connect on a deeper level with those I was around when not clouded by the disorienting haze of alcohol.Â
Alcohol may be intrinsically woven into our social fabric, but Generation Z is proving that norms can change. Maybe it’s time to put down the bottle and the phone and interact with our hands free of all that are preventing us from truly connecting.