[Strongbad536]

I'm all for being more healthy but at the same time I think a lot of people are failing to talk about the fact that this current generation (younger than millennials let's say) seems to be not drinking at all. While that might be healthier by the book, one thing it certainly decreases is time with friends and potentially time to network with others or make connections you might not otherwise.

If one to two drinks per week, or a glass of wine with dinner with friends increases your overall happiness because you had healthy relationships, or because you met somebody who opened up some other opportunity for you, that probably is an overall net positive compared to not drinking and thus perhaps not going out.

Inb4 "you shouldn't need to drink to have good friendships" yeah okay but sometimes it can just be fun to loosen up a bit and have a good time with your friends and i don't think looking back on my 20s i'd trade my fun nights out for the alternative (staying in and likely grinding CS. counterstrike, not even computer science). YMMV.

[nancyminusone]

But if everyone is not drinking and you are, wouldn't that make you the odd one out? You would be going out to meet... nobody.

[Glawen]

That type of setup is indeed odd. When it happens I usually don't care and take a glass anyway, hoping it'll convince someone else to follow me.

[jaapz]

Not drinking does not equal not socializing or going out? You can go out to eat with friends without ordering a glass of wine...

[Glawen]

You missed the part where it loosen up. Some people are shy and a drink help them speak up in groups. The younger me felt that way.

[Doxin]

The trick there is that when everyone else is drinking they'll be making huge social gaffes almost continually. Makes it much easier (for me at least) to relax and not worry so much.

[thfuran]

>While that might be healthier by the book, one thing it certainly decreases is time with friends and potentially time to network with others or make connections you might not otherwise.

I'm a bit confused by the conflation here. You can drink alone or socialize sober. It may be the case that kids these days are socializing in person with friends less, but it's almost certainly not because they're drinking less.