Gen Z Drinking Culture
Gen Z Drinking Culture
Writer Sofia Hopkins
Photographer Maia Rosenthal
Web Designer Alexandra Bondurant
As more and more members of Gen Z reach legal drinking age, the generation is redefining what it means to go out. According to recent studies, Gen Z reportedly drinks an average of 20% less than Millennials. The same research cites economic struggles and the popularization of cannabis as possible reasons for this decline in social drinking.
What these studies don’t take into account, however, is the experience of living in a college town where drinking can feel like the center of a good night out. Flux asked University of Oregon students their take on Gen Z’s drinking habits and whether or not it aligns with their own experiences.
Alcohol has long been used as a social drug. From pregaming to clubbing, mimosas at brunch, or simply a beer at the bar after work, it’s been built into our society as a cornerstone of socialization. Researchers have monitored alcohol use for decades now, and Gen Z’s declining use is nothing new. Monitoring the Future, an ongoing study on alcohol use out of the University of Michigan, has shown that in the last 20 years, Gen Z has consistently shifted away from drinking alcohol as consistently as the generations before them.
Further data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that about 49% of Gen Z aged 18-24 reported that they drank alcohol in the last month, which is a 10% decrease from 10 years ago.
Young adults play cards at a local bar. Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is reshaping the drinking culture online. The shift has caused multinational alcohol companies to lose $830 billion in market value since 2021, according to Monvendi International. “That definitely surprises me, that can’t be true. I feel like, if anything, we’re drinking more. I go out at least twice a week and I know way more people that go out a lot more than that. That’s just how it goes in a college town, if you’re not drinking, I genuinely don’t know what you are doing,” said Carter Gancerel, who is a senior at the University of Oregon.
Lily Tran, who is completing her first year at the university, felt similarly.
“I don’t think I would say that I’ve noticed anybody drinking less. All of my friends drink often, I don’t really know many people that don’t. It feels awkward when I don’t drink, I prefer to be in a better mood,” Tran said.
As they attain legal drinking age, members of Gen Z appear less interested in alcohol consumption. “Only between 18 and 20 percent of Americans of legal drinking age and under 28 years old said they regularly drank beer, wine or spirits.” (Buchholz, Statista, 2021)All except one of the students interviewed said that being at the University of Oregon has increased how much and how frequently they drink.
Some researchers believe that Gen Z is drinking less due to marijuana being more accessible. After all, this is the first generation that has had weed legalized for them from a young age. According to Data from New Frontier Data, an analysis and market data company that focuses on the cannabis industry, about 69% of people aged 18-24 reported that they prefer using cannabis over drinking alcohol.
“More kids in my generation have shifted towards weed, but it really just depends on the person. I have friends who drink heavily every day and friends who don’t drink at all, it just depends,” said junior Gabriel Rogers.
Other students who were interviewed frequently mentioned that most of their friends smoke.
“I usually do one or the other, I either smoke or drink. Most of my friends smoke if they’re going out, whether or not they’re drinking,” junior Elizabeth Blakely said.
While it’s clear that some members of Gen Z at the University of Oregon feel that they aren’t seeing a decline in drinking culture at all, others feel that it’s simply changing.
Today, a six-pack of cheap beer costs an average of $8.50, and the cost of alcohol only increases when it’s bought at a restaurant or bar. For college students, that may not be the most realistic thing to participate in.
Despite a decline in drinking, Gen Z is still in search of places to socialize. This desire is leading to an increase in non-alcoholic mocktail bars and cannabis cafes.Raoul Johnson, a junior, doesn’t go out to drink socially as much as some of his peers do.
“I go out maybe once or twice a month, but I drink at home more. It’s cheaper to just buy alcohol and drink at home. You know, I don’t drink to meet new people, I drink to hang out with people I already know,” Johnson said.
The studies on Gen Z’s alcohol use are telling, but the experiences shared by members of Gen Z living in a college town appear to paint a much different picture.
“I don’t really care how much it ends up costing or whatever the studies say about our generation, it’s worth it if it means I get to hang out with my friends,” said Gancerel.
With rising costs — cocktails averaging $14 — some of this generation are turning towards making healthier choices, according to a Wall Street Journal article.