How Gen Z Is Changing the Drinking Landscape

Although alcohol use among teens is decreasing, the use of drugs may be on the rise.

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Is this the last call for alcohol? Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are driving a sober revolution fueled by social media and a growing interest in wellness and mental health.

An NCSolutions consumer sentiment survey of more than 1,000 people ages 21 and older found that nearly half of Americans expressed a desire to cut back on drinking in 2025. The shift is most pronounced among Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—with 65 percent aiming to drink less in 2025 and 39 percent planning to abstain entirely.

“I’m hearing less about drinking and the allure of it,” Justin Wolfe, director of the Aliya Institute and a therapist for adolescents with substance use and mental health concerns, told The Epoch Times.

This contrasts sharply with older generations. Only 30 percent of baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—plan to reduce their alcohol consumption, suggesting that they are less inclined to waver from their established drinking habits. And some may even be increasing their intake.

Research indicates a concerning rise in alcohol use and related health issues among the 65-plus age group. A recent Norwegian study further revealed that certain groups of women, including those around retirement age, were more likely to increase their drinking, particularly of wine.

According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7 million seniors said they had engaged in binge drinking in the past month.

This generational divide raises questions about the future of drinking culture and points to the potential rise of mind-altering alternatives such as THC, mushrooms, and ketamine among young adults.

Drive Behind Gen Z’s Shift

Gen Z’s motives for abandoning alcohol are multifaceted, but social media lies heavily at the core.

A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Sociology found that Gen Z tends to seek information from peer influencers rather than traditional sources, demonstrating how digital media increasingly shapes and spreads values. This influence manifests in several ways.

Public Perception and the ‘Clean Girl’ Aesthetic

It’s natural for young adults to care about how they are perceived, but social media amplifies this pressure exponentially.

“I think that a lot of times we’re so consumed with how other people are looking at us that we don’t even want to risk being considered messy,” Sofie Ruiz, a sophomore at Texas Christian University and journalism major, told The Epoch Times.

This fear of being perceived as “messy” is fueled by the popularity of the “clean girl” aesthetic, said Ruiz, who recently penned a piece about her peers’ drinking habits. This aesthetic is known for its focus on wellness and self-care.

A “clean girl” is often associated with healthy habits such as practicing Pilates, drinking green smoothies, and journaling—definitely not heavy drinking. The epitome of the popular girl is now one who projects an image of a balanced, healthy, and often sober lifestyle. This ideal is heavily promoted on social media, influencing what is seen as desirable and aspirational.

College campuses also have school-specific social media apps, such as Yik Yak, where images from a drunken night out can get posted by peers with lasting and embarrassing consequences, according to Ruiz. With social media comes permanent and wide-reaching evidence, and students are choosing not to be seen in an unfavorable way in perpetuity.

The reputation repercussions can run deep. Ruiz said she has a friend who attends a university with its own dedicated Instagram account. Students can send in anything, and it will likely be posted. A female student was kicked out of her sorority for being featured in an apparently drunken state on the page.

“We grew up a lot hearing the concerns of a digital footprint. People don’t want to risk their future on stuff like that,” Ruiz said.

Gender and Public Image

The pressure to maintain a certain image on social media is not felt equally across genders, she said.

“I think just as a society, even though obviously we’ve progressed so much, there’s so much more pressure on girls,” Ruiz said.

“Guys don’t have as much to be scared about, I think. Because even if they do something embarrassing and it gets posted, they, by history, most likely will not get the same repercussions as a girl might.”

While an inebriated guy might be seen as just funny and “messing around,” an inebriated girl can be labeled as “messy” and is also more vulnerable to sexual assault and crimes.

Health Consciousness and Self-Care

Social media also coincides with a growing emphasis on health and self-care. Wolfe noted that Gen Z is bombarded with messages promoting self-love and self-improvement. There is a trend toward wanting to be the best version of yourself, and social media is spearheading it.

“If you struggle with anxiety or you struggle with depression, there’s a lot of evidence and there’s a lot of publicity about just how substance use can make that worse. And so you’re seeing that prioritization of people’s mental health,” he stated.

This focus on well-being, often heightened by social media, is leading young adults to reconsider the role of alcohol in their lives.

Ruiz acknowledges that some students shun alcohol to prioritize their health.

“You don’t want to be hungover, you don’t want to feel sick, which also goes into the clean girl aesthetic thing,” she said.

However, ultimately, Ruiz said she believes many abstain only because they feel forced by the looming invisible threat of how others perceive them.

“I think that if social media wasn’t a component, it would definitely be a lot different,” she said.

Shifting Stigma and the Influence of Social Movements

Social media isn’t just about individual image. It also fosters broader social movements that are changing perceptions of alcohol.

Wolfe said Dry January, Sober October, and other popular trends are helping remove the stigma of being a teetotaler.

“All of these movements that have taken hold are saying, ‘Hey, you really need to take care of yourself and your body,’ which has led people to evaluate and assess how alcohol fits into that,” he said.

“Historically, there’s always been that stigma, where either you’re a drinker, or you’re in recovery. It doesn’t have to be either/or. There’s a big gray area in between those two realms.”

This gray area of mindful drinking and self-awareness is increasingly visible and accepted, thanks partly to social media.

However, while drinking seems to be losing its appeal, there has been a rise in drug abuse. Gen Z may not, in fact, be fully embracing the true definition of sobriety. Instead, some seem to be reaching for other mind-altering experiences.

The Rise of Alternative Substances

While drinking is often used to numb and remove oneself from emotional discomfort, Wolfe said, Gen Zers seem to be eager to explore their inner workings and are enlisting other substances to aid them. It’s not necessarily a direct trade but an intersection of experimentation and shifting preferences.

“The pendulum kind of swung in the other direction,” he said.

The fall 2024 National College Health Association Executive Summary found that 22.2 percent of college students surveyed said they had used cannabis in the past three months, and about 7 percent had used hallucinogens—defined in the report as including MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy or molly), LSD, mescaline, psilocybin (commonly known as magic mushrooms), PCP, and ketamine.

The National Institutes of Health-supported study observed a dramatic surge in hallucinogen use among young adults since 2020, after decades of relative stability. By 2021, a record 8 percent reported past-year use, up from 5 percent in 2016.

For some, this use may be related to self-medication for mental health challenges or as a tool for self-exploration.

Wolfe noticed a striking trend: “The adolescent young adult men are tapping in and acknowledging that ‘I’m having a hard time sitting here in my own skin and I’m not going to look at alcohol to try and give me that relief—I want to try and find that answer for myself.’

“They read the anecdotal research out there and it’s like, ‘hey, this is somewhat natural. Let me try and microdose myself.’”

He noted a particular trend with ketamine, which has been described as removing barriers to accessing emotional content that people tend to suppress. According to Wolfe, Gen Z is enlisting encrypted messaging services, such as Telegram, to connect with sources that are selling ketamine.

Cannabis use has also become more prevalent. A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey found that of the 3.7 million people ages 12 or older who initiated marijuana use in 2022, 1.2 million were adolescents (ages 12 to 17), and 1.2 million were young adults (ages 18 to 25). Young adult marijuana use is at its highest level since the late 1980s.

Ruiz said that the popularity of cannabis may stem from its perceived social acceptability.

“You’re kind of at less of a risk to embarrass yourself because if you’re high, you’re normally just going to chill out. Whereas when you’re drunk, you don’t really have control over your actions,” she said.

Distinct social groups have emerged, according to Ruiz. “There’s still the people that drink, but now there’s an equal group where they only smoke—they’re either a smoker or a drinker,” she said.

While a decrease in alcohol consumption among Gen Z is apparent, whether it translates into a direct increase in the use of other substances is not yet definitively proven. It’s likely a result of a combination of factors, including genuine shifts toward sobriety, experimentation, and potentially, for some, replacing one substance with another.

Perhaps social media is also driving the spread of information and normalization of drug use. The research on Gen Z’s drug use is still in its early stages. More studies are needed to fully understand the trends and motivations behind their use.

The Future of Drinking Culture

Gen Z’s changing relationship with alcohol raises questions about the future of drinking culture. It remains to be seen whether this is a fad driven by social media and concerns about image and wellness or a fundamental shift in how young people view alcohol and social connection.

The increased use of drugs, including cannabis and hallucinogens, adds a layer of complexity. While some report finding benefits in these alternatives, particularly in the context of mental health and self-discovery, the risks are undeniable. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of drugs, as early drug use can alter brain maturation, impair cognitive functions, and significantly increase the risk of developing a substance use disorder.

Social media’s influence on Gen Z’s substance use is complex and nuanced. While it may contribute to positive shifts away from alcohol consumption, it is seemingly simultaneously creating a heightened risk environment for illicit drug abuse.