The nolo generation: why are Gen Z ‘sober curious’?

from yolo to nolo, plus finding love in the supermarket & WFH Fridays

Welcome to the latest edition of The Gen Zer. This week, we take a look at the increasing demand (and supply) for no- and low-alcohol drinks. We also take a look at why TikTok has got Gen Zers finding love in the supermarket and the love for WFH Fridays. Read on for more . . .

---

If you were a teenager back in 2012, you probably remember all the rage around the phrase ‘YOLO’. Standing for ‘You Only Live Once’, the phrase captured the urge for impulsive decision making and living in the moment. Things like health or moderation didn’t matter; what mattered was partying, making memories, and having a good time. A decade later, however, and Gen Z has gone from YOLO to NoLo.

‘NoLo’ refers to the increasingly available range of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks — things like a Lucky Saint or a mocktail. Ten years ago you’d find it almost impossible to get non-alcoholic beer on tap, yet now it’s pretty normal. Turning up for dinner with a bottle of non-alcoholic wine is similarly much less far-fetched. And even the ritual of post-work drinks is evolving to include NoLo options, with less social stigma around avoiding drinking. Gen Zers are embracing these lower-alcoholic options, looking for a balance between having fun and being social, whilst also looking after their mental and physical well-being.

The stats are striking: 30% of 18-24 year olds report drinking less than last year, and 13% have given up alcohol altogether, according to recent data by NIQ. 

Health is a major reason behind this (although it’s not the only one). Spurned on by lifestyle changes during the pandemic, adults across all ages are making health much more of a priority. Gen Z in particular have further been encouraged by a new wave of health-focused influencers and wearable tech that offers frequent personalised reminders, with 74% saying that looking for a healthier lifestyle was behind the changes in their drinking behaviour.

@overthemoonfarawayhashtag yolo. #2010s #millennials #collegememories

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Wearable tech is playing a part in this shift because it makes people much more aware of how alcohol affects their sleep or even their hydration levels. These tools (like a smartwatch or an Oura ring) help users become more mindful of their daily habits, giving them the data to make healthier decisions, whether it’s about alcohol or other lifestyle choices.

It’s worth noting that we’re seeing a similar shift with soft drinks, too. Super sugary fizzy drinks are out; kombuchas, matchas and ‘adaptogenic’ sodas are in, and consumers now care way more about ingredients than they used to. We’re not looking for things like ‘Low Fat’ or ‘Zero Sugar’ anymore, but rather an absence of ultra-processed ingredients, a boost to gut health, or anything that promises a functional benefit like better sleep or stress relief. The success of brands like OliPop, Karma Drinks or Perfect Ted are indicative of this: their playful branding and simple, health-boosting ingredients lists have got shoppers reaching for them over a traditional Coke or a Red Bull.

Health isn’t the only reason why Gen Zers are going NoLo, however. The cost of living is also playing a part — if a wild night at the pub could set you back £100+, then you might start opting for just having one or two instead, or going for a Guinness 0.0 instead of getting a round of shots. Many clubs have closed their doors for good, and so young people are staying home or going to events that aren’t quite so based around drinking, like board games cafés.

A big reason why the NoLo movement has snowballed in recent years is, I think, to do with a much wider acceptance of a teetotal lifestyle. There have always been those who prefer to drink less or not at all, but now enough people do it that you won’t be seen as a social outcast for drinking less. Similarly, say you’re drinking less but you still want to party, now you find a sober rave along with hundreds of other sober curious partiers. Likewise work drinks are increasingly being rebranded as “gatherings” or something else that doesn’t include the word drink, with non-alcoholic options available alongside your typical beers and wines. The office drinking culture of the 80s and 90s is increasingly a thing of the past.

From YOLO to NoLo, Gen Zers are rebalancing what it means to have a good time and challenging the social norms that revolve around drinking. Sure, plenty of Zers still drink, and some still drink vast amounts. There are still plenty of young people out there partying wildly and giving brat summer a run for its money; for many people partying and going out is still a meaningful and enjoyable right of passage. But it’s interesting that many are finding ways to prioritise their mental and physical health without necessarily feeling like they’re missing out. Say goodbye to your lime sodas.

---

Gen Z around the Web

the latest stories in youth culture and changing trends . . .

Gen Z are finding love in supermarkets (euro news)
Based on a new TikTok trend (of course) young singles in Iberia are flocking to the Mercadona supermarket chain between 7pm and 8pm for “flirting time”, which involves placing a pineapple upside-down into their basket as a signal to others. Gen Z is clearly really bored of dating apps. Read more

Generation Z favours office work, but not on Fridays (the times)
Gen Z are (surprisingly?) more likely than older generations to commute into the office, valuing in-person collaboration and preferring the office environment for productivity, but for many of them Fridays are a sacred WFH day. The working week continues to evolve; (see last week’s newsletter). Read more

A surprising number of ‘iPad Kids’ are on X (tech crunch)
A surprising (worrying?) number of young children are on X/Twitter/whatever we’re calling it nowadays. A recent study by Qustodio reveals that 31% of 7-9 year olds have access to X, with similar trends on platforms like Reddit (28%) and Facebook (26%). The study also suggests that many parents aren’t aware of the risks posed by these platforms or don't consider them as harmful as things like TikTok, leading to fewer restrictions. See also: iPad kids. Read more

Kier Starmer could win with Gen Z by giving them back their freedom to explore Europe (the guardian)
An opinion piece in the Guardian arguing that the new Labour government in the UK could reconnect with young voters by reinstating things like the Erasmus scheme. Previous generations could work, live and study in the EU with no restrictions and for an indefinite time period; the younger generations are coming of age in a time when you need expensive and hard-to-attain visas for anything more than three months of travel, and many are feeling like they’re missing out. Read more

Poll: Half of Gen Z voters support Harris, one-third back Trump (nbc news)
Apologies to those already bored of the upcoming US election, but for those curious about how 18-29 year olds might vote, a recent poll found that 50% would vote for Harris whilst 34% would vote for Trump. 10% said they wouldn’t vote at all, whilst the remaining 6% said they’d vote for someone else. Women were generally more left-leaning than men, although both groups would still on the whole back Harris over Trump. Read more

---

That’s all for this week! Make sure to subscribe for the latest on Gen Z and youth culture, and check out The Common Thred for a weekly roundup of the latest news, trends and thought pieces.

See ya soon,

Jeremy Pearson
@ Thred Media