Why ‘homebody’ Gen Z is staying home — and it’s not inflation

When it comes to the question of “go big or go home,” “Gen Z tends to choose the latter.

“I would say I’m kind of a homebody right now,” Karson Krouse, a 24-year-old wildland firefighter in Washington state, told Bon Appétit. “The pandemic has brought about some weird things. I’ve definitely been going out a lot less. It has to be a really special occasion — a birthday or a bachelorette party.”

A recent study found that more American adults are spending about 10 percent more time at home than the same group did in 2003. Study author Patrick Sharkey, a professor at Princeton University, said it’s not just work that has moved to the home, family, but also activities related to education, relationships and, you guessed it, eating.

“This is a huge shift in our daily lives,” Sharkey previously told The New York Times. “Almost every part of our lives is more likely to happen at home.”

Twenty-somethings who have reached the legal drinking age during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown – dubbed the “nerd generation” who apparently have no idea what “happy hour” is – have become accustomed to relaxed Saturday nights existinstead of go out.

Instead of going to crowded dives or clubs, they’re hosting leisurely backyard get-togethers or dinner parties in their living rooms.

Bars have now become a source of social anxiety, forcing them to socialize with new people and social cues, rather than a place to relax.

Montana’s TaChanté Cole, 25, grew up in a town of 1,500 people, which makes interacting with large numbers of strangers in social situations all the more nerve-wracking, especially in After the pandemic.

“When things opened up again, I didn’t feel comfortable going out and having to interact with people,” the beautician told Bon Appétit, adding that her upbringing created “a little bit of a barrier when it comes to learning how to interact with new people. “. people.

Mara Stolzenbach, director of strategy at Gen Z research firm dcdx, said the varying intentions of bargoers are further exacerbating the “uncomfortability and uncertainty” caused by the coronavirus.

Gen Z may go out to meet friends, socialize with singles or drink alone — the possibilities are endless — and Gen Z is afraid that social cues may be misinterpreted, reports Bon Appétit.

According to Fox News, earlier this year, Axios noted that searches for “dinner party” on Evite jumped 148% as the so-called lonely generation spurred the dinner party craze, which also lowered the cost of socializing.

However, some bars are trying to recreate the comforts of home that Gen Z is familiar with.

At The Carriage Bar in Alabama, co-owner Caleb Banks designed the venue to have an ambience that makes it feel like you’re walking into a friend’s living room, just like the dinner parties he’s hosting. Carpets litter the floor, and patrons can relax on plush sofas while sipping their drinks.

The bar prints its menus on unassuming white printer paper and even offers a “living room pour” — a 9-ounce glass of wine, nearly double the regular 5-ounce shot — that Banks says he’ll serve Give to a friend.

Banks told Bon Appétit that some guests were feeling a little too comfortable, making it difficult for staff to attend to them.

“They feel like this is their place, not the bar, and that almost works to our detriment,” Banks said. He added that when customers are “tired of making decisions,” people also get better at knowing “what’s good” on the menu. “The bartender found “comfort” there.”

With digital social technology at our fingertips and Gen Z’s rising anxiety, luring Zoomers out of the house for a sleepover can seem like an insurmountable feat.

But experts say there will always be a community around food and drink.

“People are relying on food and drink to get them through this. That’s the outlook for it,” dcdx CEO Andrew Roth told Bon Appétit. “As a generation, we recognize that things like dinner parties and these spaces are the solution. We’re just not sure how to do it.”