American drinking culture is so crazy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, these are the same people figuring out where their kids are going to rush before they even step foot on a college campus. The drinking is the point of college too.

I will concede that american colleges have a crazy drinking culture - far more than other countries. But that's because other countries it's legal much earlier to drink, so it's not as big of a deal.

Wrong. I studied abroad and was SHOCKED at how much people at my abroad university drank. Way more than at my Big 10 school where drinking was definitely the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think drinking culture in America has been in rapid decline for several years now. Drinking in 2026 is nothing like drinking was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Alcohol consumption by under 30s has been in a tailspin for a while now.

The big remnant drinkers these days are Gen X and Boomers. Plus, those with an alcohol use disorder, who are responsible for the vast majority of alcohol consumption in this country.

For the most part, normal people have drastically reduced their drinking compared to people in prior decades.

It has been. People are taking drugs more and getting drug-induced psychosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one I know or who I am friends with does this. And I'm American.

I do find that people in the DC area / mid Atlantic and people from the Upper Midwest, drink a whole lot more than people I know from the West and the Southeast.

It's the weather. People cooped up indoors drink more.

[Anonymous]

I agree with OP. Moms having wine every night, men drinking beer before dinner, cocktails at 11am birthday parties and potlucks, women making their love of wine their entire personality, etc. It’s bizarre and unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

Posting on SM about anything is embarrassing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think drinking culture in America has been in rapid decline for several years now. Drinking in 2026 is nothing like drinking was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Alcohol consumption by under 30s has been in a tailspin for a while now.

The big remnant drinkers these days are Gen X and Boomers. Plus, those with an alcohol use disorder, who are responsible for the vast majority of alcohol consumption in this country.

For the most part, normal people have drastically reduced their drinking compared to people in prior decades.

This. I’m in my late 40s and hardly anyone I know drinks much anymore. I bought a bottle of wine yesterday and I was the only person in the entire wine department of Wegman’s. Breweries are closing left and right in my city. Bars are posting on social media pleading for customers or they’re going to have to shut down.

I guess less alcohol consumption is a good thing, but when accompanied by less socialization and the shuttering of places to gather that are neither work nor home, I’m not sure the net gains are worth it.

[Anonymous]

British, Irish, Scottish, French, Czech, Russians, and Aussies probably drink way more than Americans. Heck even the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans can drink HARD. Ever been to Tokyo and see all the passed out drunk salary men who crap themselves in the middle of a train station? What a sight!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so, so, so glad you started yet another thread about this. The previous 100 threads on the same subject were simply not enough. But THIS one is sure to generate the outrage and the results you crave.

Triggered alcoholic says what?

Triggered moron has nothing smart to say, as usual.

Says the person who can't have a good time without involving alcohol? Mmkayyyyyy.

People must get a real kick out of you at parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:British, Irish, Scottish, French, Czech, Russians, and Aussies probably drink way more than Americans. Heck even the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans can drink HARD. Ever been to Tokyo and see all the passed out drunk salary men who crap themselves in the middle of a train station? What a sight!

Yes, my Dad's family is Irish and I have friends who live in the UK and they drink way, way more. My spouse has been to Japan and Australia for work and has had to be careful at work dinners, they can serve a lot of alcohol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a teetotaler - I'll enjoy a drink on special occasions or on vacation, but I don't understand how we've gotten to a place where drinking for everything is so normalized. Can people not socialize or hang out without involving alcohol? If you can't have fun or enjoy the company of people without involving a drink... that's pretty sad. And pathetically boring.

Your instagam and tiktoks about your drinks every weekend? Impending snowstorm and you've got beer and wine, so you're set? It's sad. That's... fun?!

People in other countries don't do this. People don't post about their alcohol or make weird, kind of disturbing jokes about their boozey plans. I know we have an addictive culture in general (not just alcohol, but prescription drugs, bad food, etc) but it's really weird how drinking culture in America is celebrated.

You clearly don't spend much time in other countries.

Also, there are bi-weekly threads on this. Maybe be more creative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think drinking culture in America has been in rapid decline for several years now. Drinking in 2026 is nothing like drinking was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Alcohol consumption by under 30s has been in a tailspin for a while now.

The big remnant drinkers these days are Gen X and Boomers. Plus, those with an alcohol use disorder, who are responsible for the vast majority of alcohol consumption in this country.

For the most part, normal people have drastically reduced their drinking compared to people in prior decades.

Of course it is on the decline. The US is normalizing use of other drugs like weed, shrooms and acid. They're laughably marketed as "healthier" alternatives to booze. Also, another vice consuming a lot of income is gambling. Gen Z has horrific gambling addictions that are out of control. They bet on everything from the weather to world events to every single play during a sports game. Of course they dont have money to go to the bar, they are the degenerate gambling generation with weed addictions. Not to mention younger generations have completely stunted social skills due to growing up in nonstop social media use since birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:British, Irish, Scottish, French, Czech, Russians, and Aussies probably drink way more than Americans. Heck even the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans can drink HARD. Ever been to Tokyo and see all the passed out drunk salary men who crap themselves in the middle of a train station? What a sight!

Yes, my Dad's family is Irish and I have friends who live in the UK and they drink way, way more. My spouse has been to Japan and Australia for work and has had to be careful at work dinners, they can serve a lot of alcohol.

My BIL is Japanese and said a boss does not really trust his employees until he's seen them vomit.
OP, this is just a function of who posts on social media. Annoying wine moms post excessively and thrive on attention. Average people are not getting sloshed nightly and they are not making social media posts daily either.

[Anonymous]

Many other countries have normalized drinking as part of meals and socializing etc. you're probably not friends with random international people on SM.

[Anonymous]

People drink all over the world. But I do agree American culture has the tendency to make everything precious and “elevated.” Like the $6 plastic box of individually separated romaine lettuce leaves - I always laugh at those. So where everywhere else it’s just a well-made beer that doesn’t need a lot of conversation about, in the US it’s an endless discussion of microbrew brands and their backstories, etc. And most of them are probably not as good as their foreign undiscussed counterparts, similar to the wilted lettuce in the display box that was picked ten days ago and trucked thousands of miles…

[Anonymous]

Americans drink far less than many other countries. In fact, drinking is down across most age ranges.

Most are home bored on their screens. Hey, the drinking with friends sounds better!