The way we date is changing. For decades, dating has been synonymous with drinking — with pubs and bars frequently cited as hotspots for meeting potential partners.
Now, new research has revealed that getting tipsy on dates may be going out of fashion, with Gen Zers ditching booze in pursuit of love.
A new survey conducted by Ripple Research has found that the majority (51 per cent) of British Gen Zs don’t drink alcohol on first dates, compared with 46 per cent of the rest of the population.
The study asked 2,064 participants about their dating life between October 31 and November 4.
The findings track with research indicating that Gen Z are “generation clean”, with over a fifth Gen Zers sober in 2023.
While young adults are reportedly getting back on the booze again, according to research conducted by IWSR, a sizable proportion of Gen Zers are still opting to reduce or cut their alcohol consumption.
So what do they do on dates instead?
Dining over drinking
Meeting for dinner or lunch was the most popular first date for Gen Zers according to Ripple Research’s survey, with 44 per cent describing this as their typical first date activity.
This was a significantly more popular activity than drinking. Only a quarter (25 per cent) of Gen Zers said that they went for a drink for a first date.
The next most popular first date activity was going to the cinema (23 per cent), followed by playing a game like mini golf or going to the arcade (21 per cent) and grabbing coffee (21 per cent).
Sporty and single
Ripple Research’s survey follows similar research indicating that sober dates are on the rise among Gen Zers. One poll of UK Amazon workers revealed that one in four participants would pick exercise as a first date, twice the number of those who would opt for a bar or pub.
Last year, a TikTok trend saw content creators claiming that run clubs were the new dating apps, prompting Tinder and Thursday to launch their own running events, Singles Weekly and SoleMates.
Meanwhile, initiatives like Sporty & Single, a community that runs climbing and running events for singles, provide spaces to meet potential partners that aren’t centered around alcohol.
“I think it creates a lot of organic moments for conversation,” founder Isabel Sachs told The Standard, adding that several people have exchanged numbers at the events.
Rather than going to a pub or a bar where “people just stay in their bubble,” these organised events mean that “you already have some level of base level of interest”.
And without the pressure to get dressed up, Sachs says that the events help people relax. “Everyone is showing up as they are,” she says.
