For years, alcohol has been an almost inherent element of youth leisure. But something is changing. Generation Z drinks less than previous generations and not only for health or economic reasons: they begin to perceive alcohol as a factor that directly affects their mental well-being, their ability to concentrate and, consequently, their daily productivity.
It is not a moral crusade nor a total renunciation of consumption. It is a change in relationship with respect to alcohol and its subsequent consequences.
Generation Z drinks less than millennials. The data confirms that this is not an isolated perception. According to FortuneGeneration Z consumes around 20% less alcohol than millennials at the same age, a sustained decline seen in several Western countries. That is to say, alcohol is still present, but it loses prominence in youth leisure.
According to data from the Survey on Alcohol and other Drugs in Spain (EDADES), in 1997 12.7% of the population aged 15 to 64 claimed to drink daily, in 2007 it was already 10.2% and in 2024 this percentage was barely 9%.
Hangxiety: the hangover that cannot be seen. Generation Z has grown up with greater access to information about mental health, basic neuroscience, and emotional well-being. This has changed the perception of alcohol, which is no longer seen just as fun and is now understood as an element with clear cognitive costs.
One of the concepts that best explains this change is that of “hangxiety”, which The Guardian defined as the anxiety that appears after consuming alcohol, even when the physical hangover is mild. Alcohol alters neurotransmitters such as GABA and serotonin, generating a rebound effect that can translate into anxiety, irritability and ruminative thoughts the next day.
For a generation especially sensitive to anxiety and mental health, this effect is especially dissuasive.
Less alcohol, more cognitive stability. That is, the reason to reduce alcohol consumption is not only to avoid a hangover, but to improve mental stability and your cognitive performance during the following days.
A study from the JSI Research and Training Institute in Boston investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on work performance. According to their findings, even moderate levels of hangover can affect decision making, memory, and sustained attention. The problem is not only the occasional excess of alcohol, but the residual effects that last for days and the discomfort that these effects produce among the youngest.
Live without fatigue. Reducing alcohol consumption does not imply marathon days in which you can work longer hours. What changes is consistency. Less alcohol means fewer “wasted” days, less cognitive fatigue, and a greater ability to stay focused throughout the week.
For a generation that moves in a more unstable and competitive labor market, this control of one’s own performance is key, opting for social alternatives without alcohol, more planned consumption and less pressure to drink to fit in.
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Image | Unsplash (Vasilis Caravitis)
