- A new report indicates that Generation Z is drinking significantly less alcohol compared to previous generations, with a decline observed since the late 1990s and accelerating in the early 2010s.
- Data from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study shows that only 41% of 12th graders in 2024 reported drinking alcohol in the past year, a substantial drop from 75% in 1997.
- Gen Z researcher Rachel Janfaza attributes this shift to three primary factors: changes in social behaviour post-Covid, including increased online interaction; a growing body optimization culture leading to avoidance of calorific drinks; and economic pressures.
- This trend extends beyond alcohol, with significant reductions also noted in marijuana use among 12th graders, reaching its lowest point in over 30 years at 26%, and a decrease in nicotine vaping.
- Janfaza characterises Gen Z as 'late bloomers,' noting that they are also having less sex and obtaining driving licenses later, suggesting a broader shift in adolescent development and socialisation.
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