This Generation is Making Not Drinking Cool

Something is shifting. I see it in the younger generation the kids coming up now. They’re making not drinking cool. And honestly, I can’t help but wish I had known what I know now back in my twenties.

I wasted so many nights and weekends being drunk and hungover. I thought that was just what you did, drinks before dinner, drinks at the bar, drinks at the party, and then spend the next morning piecing together the night, eating greasy food, and swearing “never again.” Until the next weekend rolled around.

When I look back, I cringe at some of the situations I put myself in. Thank goodness nothing terrible happened but it could have, so easily. Alcohol made me reckless, lowered my standards, and clouded my judgment. Now as a mom, I think about my daughters doing the same things, and it terrifies me. I don’t want them to go through that cycle of regret and self-doubt.

My hope for my children is that the knowledge we have now will shape their lives differently. They are growing up in a time where people are openly questioning alcohol, where “sober curious” isn’t weird, it’s normal. They see influencers sipping mocktails instead of vodka sodas, they see athletes and celebrities embracing alcohol-free lifestyles, and maybe most importantly they see their parents. Perhaps they’ve seen their parents drunk, and it scared them. Or maybe they’ve seen the shift, how much better life can be without it.

Here’s the hard truth: if you’re not there yet if you still feel like weekends, holidays, birthdays, weddings, and even casual get-togethers require alcohol, you might have a problem. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. I only say it because I’ve been there too. I used to tell myself, “I can’t imagine life without alcohol.” And that was the red flag. When you can’t imagine life without it, that means alcohol has more control over you than you want to admit.

The good news? You can change. You don’t have to wait for some big rock-bottom moment. You don’t have to keep wasting years in a haze of hangovers. You don’t have to hand alcohol the best days of your life.

This younger generation is showing us another way. They’re proving that you can laugh harder, connect deeper, and make memories that don’t blur at the edges. They’re proving that fun doesn’t come from a bottle.

Maybe it’s time we take a page from their book. Maybe it’s time to let not drinking be the new cool for them, for us, and for the generations to come.