PODCAST:
May 19, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson discuss changing social trends. Rachel Janfaza of “The Up and Up” joins to explain why Gen Z drinks less and delays traditional milestones.
Data and trends indicate that today’s teens, and Gen Z in general, are drinking less alcohol than previous generations. But what is driving the change?
A new study from the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research found that the percentage of 12th graders who drank alcohol in the past 12 months dropped from 75% in 1997 to 41% in 2025. Another poll conducted by Gallup in 2023 found that 62% of adults under age 35 say they consume alcohol, down from 72% two decades prior.
Rachel Janfaza, who runs the “The Up and Up” newsletter, theorizes that the trend goes beyond health, and may have to do with younger people socializing less in the wake of social media and the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic and body-image factors also play a role, she said.
“Those three factors: the economic piece of this, the broader conversation about health and wellness going on in the country, and the information young adults are getting on their social media algorithms that are talking about health and wellness,” Janfaza told WJR. “Then on top of that, there’s a loneliness crisis and the way that we hang out. So, it’s again a perfect storm of factors.“
