Gen Z is shaking up America’s drinking culture and proving they don’t need cocktails to have a good time.
Known as the “sober generation,” today’s young people are increasingly turning away from alcohol, opting instead for healthier lifestyles, fatter wallets and hangover-free mornings.
Researchers at Skyline Recovery Center asked 766 Gen Z adults aged 21 to 29 and found that nearly a quarter (24%) did not drink at all.
A new survey from market research firm IWSR found that 81% of Millennials drink alcohol, more than any other generation, with Gen
As for Zoomers, 21% are deliberately moderating their drinking, while 6% describe themselves as “sober curious” and cutting back on alcohol.
“Life is a lot more fun without alcohol,” Skyline clinical director Sheldon Cohen told The Washington Post. “You can have dinner with friends. You can laugh and talk. You can remember things. The next morning, you don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself or regretting things you said and did.”
For Zoomers, the biggest motivation for quitting drinking is personal health.
A whopping 46% said physical health or fitness motivated them to drink less, 37% were motivated by saving money, 29% cited improved mental health and 20% had a family history of addiction.
Of those who cut back on spending, 46% reported saving money, averaging $1,200 a year, while spending an average of about $800 a year on alcohol.
Even romance is becoming sober.
A jaw-dropping 69% of Gen Z adults who date say they prefer dates with less or no alcohol.
Only 6% would prefer to drink cocktails on a date.
The rest don’t like drinking and dating at all.
“Dating without drinking can be uncomfortable at first, especially if you always drink to relieve tension,” says Cohen. “But it’s reassuring to know you like someone when you go home and not think about how much the drink had anything to do with it.”
The survey revealed that single Zoomers are more likely to be fully sober (30%) than those in a relationship or living with a partner (17%).
Meanwhile, 35% of respondents are most likely not to drink alcohol at daytime gatherings, including brunches and parties.
36% admitted that they refused to drink for health reasons simply because they didn’t want to drink.
Zoomers haven’t completely given up drinking, but many are determined to maintain control.
Among drinkers, the average number is 4.4 drinks per week, with 65% saying they never binge drink and 83% continuing to drink into the weekend.
Nearly four-fifths of Gen Z adults (79%) use at least one strategy to maintain moderation.
These strategies include drinking slowly, setting drinking limits and scheduling “alcohol-free days.”
One in five people has tried “wet drinking”, a growing practice of cutting back on alcohol without quitting altogether.
The survey shows that men drink more alcohol than women, with an average of 5.1 drinks per week compared to 3.9 drinks for women. More than half of male drinkers prefer beer, while women are more likely to choose cocktails.