A lot has been said about Gen Z’s perceived flaws over the past five years. My much-maligned generation has been the subject of countless column inches, daily headlines and feverish debates in the pub.
We don’t drink, we don’t have sex, we don’t do drugs, we don’t want to work, we can’t buy houses and we hate the world and we never go outside! Sometimes, after a pint or two, older people quiz me about my generation’s habits like a well-meaning ignoramus asking about gay sex. “So, how does it work?” “Is it true that you...”
Yes, we are an awkward generation. Yes, a lot of Gen Z are skipping out on more “traditional” British going out behaviours — probably because half of them were cooped up into enforced semi-solitary confinement during their main intro-to-drinking years, making them isolated and weird.
But there’s one distinctly British thing we are doing: guzzling booze before we hit the dancefloor.
New research has found that 40 per cent of Gen Z say they need alcohol before they feel like they can dance in front of others. This may seem ironic given our fondness for TikTok dance routines and “main character” comparisons, but really it’s not that surprising.
Gen Zs are like a mix between Quasimodo and a magpie. Stunted, strange, shaped by solitude, yet obsessed with mirrors and shiny things. We love the way we look in our phones, when we can control the way we’re presented to the world, but we don’t have a whole lot of confidence.
Plus, we’re British. Trying to make this a Gen Z problem is laughable, especially when we’re only slightly ahead of the general public, with one third (33 per cent) of Britons saying they need a drink before cutting up the dancefloor.
My generation gets a lot of slander, partly because we’re seen as a freakish irregularity but mainly because it’s entertaining to pit the old against the young
That’s just being British! My generation gets a lot of slander, partly because we’re seen as a freakish irregularity, but mainly because it’s entertaining to pit the old against the young. They did it with millennials, they’re doing it with us, they’ll do it with Gen Alpha. Not everything Gen Z does is newfangled and representative of an everlasting, generational trend.
May I offer an alternative: this generation is just a bit young. Younger than most, thanks to the unique impact of a global pandemic. But we’re coming into our own slowly.
According to a survey from IWSR, Gen Z’s alcohol consumption is “now broadly in line with other generations”. Meanwhile, behavioural science professors are pointing to a “generational recalibration” with Gen Zs developing a newfound fondness for boozing.
So yes, maybe my generation needs a little Dutch courage before busting a move. As do many Britons. Let Gen Z come of age in their own time. They’re only just starting to catch up.
