Why Are GenZ Ditching The Drink?
Generation Dry are choosing good clean fun
As dry January comes to a close, many may be excitedly counting down the days until we welcome February and, finally, get to sip the first alcoholic drink of the year. While the 2023 figures are as yet unknown, last year saw the highest rate of participation, with 130,000 people signing up to take part with Alcohol Change UK.
But as February beckons, there is a growing likelihood that, for some, dry January will never end. People across the globe are increasingly ditching the drink with GenZ leading the change towards a tee-total lifestyle.
The most recent study conducted by Drinkaware, an alcohol education charity, found that the amount of people going sober increased by 17% between 2015 and 2019. According to them, GenZ, and generally people under the age of 55, are not drinking at all or are at least drinking less often than older generations. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Gallup showed the number of college-aged Americans choosing to avoid alcohol rose from 20% to 28% over the past decade.
After an understandable surge in alcohol consumption during lockdown, the UK has seen a substantial decline in drinking. People aged 16–24 are spearheading the movement, with an impressive 26% of the GenZ age group, often now referred to as Generation Dry, going fully teetotal. With the average adult in the UK consuming 18 units of alcohol every week, that’s about five pints and six small glasses of wine, the sober trend has been described by experts as ‘remarkable and widespread.’ GenZers across most high-income European countries, as well as the US, Australia and New Zealand are going against the grain — so why have GenZ fallen out of love with alcohol?
There’s no one clear reason that can pinpoint the downturn. Singling out one driver in the unique minefield of a social landscape that GenZ faces is impossible. There are innumerous financial, political and societal worries weighing on the shoulders of today’s youth, making them more risk averse and desperate for change in many areas of their lives.
Obviously we can cite the increasing cost of living as a major driving factor. According to data from Deloitte, the cost of living crisis took the top spot in GenZ’s long list of anxiety-inducing issues, beating climate change, unemployment, mental health and sexual harassment to become their reigning worry. Almost half of the 15,000 people they surveyed said they live pay check to pay check, and frequently worry about covering their expenses. To make ends meet, 43% of GenZers admitted to taking on additional part- or full-time work in addition to their day job. This increasing workload, plus decreasing income, places alcohol as an overpriced commodity that simply isn’t worth the effort.
And there’s no doubt that alcohol is overpriced. The cost of drinking has risen by 27.5% since 2015, with the price only set to rise as energy bill increases hit UK breweries, pubs and clubs hard. Some UK brewers have even warned that the average price of a pint could top £7 compared to the current, still pretty pricey, average of £5.99.
Unfortunately for avid drinkers, getting sober is a sure fire way to save the pennies. According to Alcohol Change UK, 86% of their dry January participants save money. Sorry to break it to you, but the data is undeniable. By ditching the six pints of lager, or six medium-sized glasses of wine, you may drink in a pub every Friday night, you can save around £1,248 a year.
But avoiding the pub doesn’t mean you’ll be missing out on a good time. In their quest for sobriety, GenZ are completely reshaping what a ‘good night out’ actually is. While they increasingly choose to socialise sans drink, the desire to have meaningful and memorable experiences is growing.
A huge worry when deciding to ditch drinking is that you’ll be lonely. In search of company, nipping to the pub and going for a drink seemed to be the easiest way to find company. But now, sitting in a crowded pub, drinking to the point of sickness and having to write off the following day because of a hangover just doesn’t cut it anymore. Instead, GenZ wants to plan interesting days out where new memories can be made and unique experiences can be had. From going for long walks, trying out new skills like pottery painting or rollerblading, getting frustrated in escape rooms, letting off frustration in rage rooms, having a picnic on the beach or simply meeting for coffee and cake — these are becoming much more appealing ways to spend time with friends.
And this can be backed up by hard data commissioned by a variety of businesses terrified of losing their GenZ demographic. Summing it up simply, a study by American Addiction Centres found that, at its core, GenZ just finds heavy drinking culture boring. The majority of the 3,400 people they surveyed would prefer to spend an hour at the gym than at a bar, with many prioritising long-term goals and personal improvement over a night out. A similar survey, conducted by GoogleThink, found similar results, with many GenZers placing work or university performance above socialising in their list of life priorities.
Getting priorities straight appears to be an important part of the sober-curious movement. Health is increasingly one of those at the top of the list. It’s not just because of the fear instilled by the first global pandemic in modern history, but the growing importance GenZ have placed on both mental and physical wellbeing.
Thanks to the increasing reliance on science-backed studies into topics like social behaviour, mental health, and nutritional science, all of which are relatively new fields, GenZ are better informed than any generation before them. Throw in the fact they can find out all about these studies online, often with whole research papers summed up in 30 seconds videos on TikTok, and it’s no wonder they have a more nuanced understanding of their health. Consequently, they can make more informed decisions when it comes to their wellbeing.
And again, sorry to break the news, but ditching the drink is incredibly likely to improve both your mental and physical health. After studying Dry January participants for 10 years, Alcohol Change UK found that, after just one month of sobriety, 70% of people have better sleep and 66% have more energy. On a vain note, avoiding alcohol will give your body better levels of hydration, resulting in healthier looking skin that radiates a youthful glow — an ever important factor in the social media age.
In terms of mental health, alcohol is a well known depressant, with long term exposure known to induce negative feelings like anger, depression and anxiety. These emotions, coupled with the belief held by nearly half of GenZers that alcohol worsens anxiety, makes sobriety a lot more enticing than a hangover.
A lot of that anxiety, as shown by Google research from 2019, stems from a perceived loss of control caused by drinking. The research showed that 60% of GenZers in the UK associate drinking with a loss of control and that this risk is heightened today as nights out are documented in real time on social media. Every move you make can be shared with friends, family and even employers, meaning a carefree night out can quickly become loaded with risk. Add the fact that, according to the same Google research, 49% of GenZ consistently have their online image at the back of their mind when they go out drinking, it’s unsurprising that 76% of them want to be in control of all aspects of their life at all times.
Whether it’s a simple curiosity or a tee-total outlook on sobriety, the message from Generation Dry is that not every get-together has to be centred around alcohol. GenZ are more informed, less repressed, and generally more open to new ideas than previous generations. Or perhaps there’s a darker reality facing the situation. GenZ are skint, with student debt looming, zero-hour contracts on the rise, and the cost-of-living crisis impacting every decision they make. Affording a round is out of the question.
For all the nostalgia that influences their trends, maybe following in the footsteps of those who came before isn’t appealing when it comes to drinking. Just as the revived Y2K trend carefully avoided bringing back the dress over jeans combo, GenZ can cherry pick from history to keep anything unhealthy, or plain unfashionable, from returning.
