Over the generations, fewer people have become addicted to drinking, hence fewer had become alcoholics and therefore decreasing accidents caused by drunk driving. During the pandemic, this has been proven true, as many have been forced to stay indoors, causing people to not buy as many drinks, focused on leaving only when it was necessary. This has also led to people picking up and trying new hobbies, like reading, knitting, or even mundane things such as drinking tea more often!

A report from Bensburg stated that Gen Z’s are more than 20% less likely to drink than their millennial counterparts did at their age. Additionally, a surprising 64% of the teens and 20-year olds said that they would be drinking even less when they were older. Many people have been finding more things to do, other than hitting the hard beer or wine right away. Things like work, hobbies, and even hanging out with friends have taken priority over drinking. When you go to a bar, you don’t find many young people as much as the older generation. Sure, they may go out to a club to celebrate a special occasion, or to spend time together, but this doesn’t happen as often anymore. Demi Babalola, a philosophy and sociology student,  had spoken on The Guardian, stating that  “we have so much more to do than just drink and take drugs. I’m not surprised that’s the case. We have a lot more to distract us now.” Social media like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more have become the new ‘alcohol’ instead, feeding into what we often see as addiction to these new devices. Going out can be seen as a mere chore now, having lost its fresh breath of excitement and happiness over time. 

Perhaps the era of alcohol is coming to an end – at least for Gen Z, now that we have found a new, maybe even better way to cope with our busy lives.