Has the Friday night drinking culture gone for good?
Has the Friday night drinking culture gone for good?
I was just thinking about the concept of “Friday night drinks” in the office after work and feeling bad that I had been slack about organizing this for my staff. As I was about to hit send on an email requesting the “social club” organise a regular drinks night, it dawned on me, that there is not one person in my office who would consider a Friday night drinking session as a perk.
Back when I was studying law and when I was a junior lawyer, Friday night drinks were the place to be. Young lawyers craved them, and more senior lawyers used them as a way to escape the hectic week. Or maybe that is just my take on it.
So, it got me thinking some more. I have 3 step children ranging from 19-23, either studying at university or now finished and working. None of whom are binge drinkers, unlike myself and many of my friends and colleagues who were at that age. Clearly the current era is different, but why?
Maybe social media has had an influence on this old trend, the ability to record every second of our life and for it to be shared (often without consent) within seconds across a broad range of channels. Hangover anxiety or “hangxiety” is so much worse than it used to be, with evidence of what you got up to the night before right at everybody’s fingertips.
Or it could be that the pandemic has had an impact, because for almost two years people were finding other ways to connect other than your typical weekend drinks and/or clubbing. So perhaps the need for it now has decreased significantly with people realising that there are many more wholesome ways to get together.
I consulted with one of those young adults for her view, and she intelligently added that she considered the cost-of-living crisis has meant that people would rather not spend money on pointless things (alcohol) and that self-care is such a huge trend now (both mental and physical health).
So, whatever the reason may be, I am happy about it. Not only for the health of our younger generation, but also happy that the idea of a great employer is not one that gives you bottomless drinks on a Friday night.
I consulted with some of my team (of various ages and stages in their career) about things they would prefer to be doing on a Friday night rather than throwing back the drinks, and these are some of their suggestions:
Playing night sport or going to the gym;
Going to an escape room;
Pizza and movie night;
A game at the local bowls club;
Going to a live sporting event.
I would love to hear more suggestions of what you and your team enjoy doing on a Friday night, or maybe its still drinks in the office for you?