A New York man was curious why no young people were out at bars during a recent snow.
A photographer named Josh Alvarez recently ventured out into the snow one evening and noticed something he found peculiar: No one was out and about.
The New Yorker compiled video footage from several spots around Nyack, New York and posted it to Instagram. The scene was quite beautiful, with light snow flakes falling, leftover Christmas lights shining, and a fresh layer of powder covering nearly everything. There was also dead silence and no signs of people, save for a few footprints in the snow.
"When I was in my 20s and it snowed like this," he wrote in the caption, "we would all meet at the bar. Now nobody goes out anymore. Definitely different times."
In the post, he elaborated that he wasn't casting judgment on the younger generation. Rather, he was genuinely curious about how and why things had changed.
"I wonder why nobody goes out anymore how we used to? Is it just too expensive now? I’ve also noticed people prioritize their health more now, which is amazing! Us 80’s babies sure loved to party"
Millennials and Gen Xers chimed in with plenty of their own memories about younger, wilder days:
It seems the "blizzard bar crawl" was a major rite of passage for people living in cold climates in their 20s.
"Living in Manhattan in my 20s, we’d meet at the bar on a snowy Saturday and then call the bar across the street and challenge them to snowball fight in the middle of Second Avenue," one wrote.
"Mannnnn… snow day barcrawl was my favorite time of year. Use to have a bottle of Jameson in my bag so we could take shots as we were walking in the blizzard to get to another bar," said another.
Gen Z goes to bars far less than previous generations. Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
"Walked to the bar and walked home during a snowstorm!! It was the best time! Actually met my husband at a bar during a NYC blizzard in 1982!" someone added.
"Oh but i have amazing memories of leaving bars in NYC at 4 am to a fresh snowfall and peace and quiet in the streets which was perfection"
"Don’t be sad those moments are no longer happening , be happy they ever happened in the first place"
There were opinions abound about the younger generation, as well:
"The younger generation doesn’t socialize. They are scared of their own shadow."
"We knew how to party and socialize- nothing would get in our way-The younger gen would rather pop gummies and sit on the couch alone"
"Boring group today..too busy staring at their phones"
It's true; generations that came of age during and after COVID-19 are different. They socialize less in person, are more anxious, and are less prone to drinking and partying. But it's not because they're "boring."
Gen Zers took to the comments to defend themselves against the accusations of being sticks-in-the-mud. Not least of all, was the cost of the fun night out Millennials remember so fondly. It has changed dramatically.
"We can’t afford to drink out anymore when the cocktails are $20 each" one wrote.
"Because we aren’t paying 90s and early 2000s prices. Yall literally ruined our 20s for us and then call us weird for not AFFORDING to be social. Minimum 9$ per drink, to get in 15-25$, uber or parking 20+," added another.
"Went out the other day in Anchorage and a beer was $8.25. Not cheap to hang out anymore," someone agreed.
@resumeofficial Like of course we don’t drink, a cocktail is $20 #drinkingculture #genz #sober #dryjanuary #nodrinking #greenscreen #costofliving #inflation #expensive #sobercurious
Bar specials like ten cent wings or dollar bottles used to be the norm on certain nights per week. Today, they're rare. It's not just the snow, but rather the idea of a "pub crawl" in general is a bit of an antiquated concept with a typical beer costing an arm and a leg due to inflation and supply chain issues.
There's also the fact that Gen Z drinks notoriously less alcohol than previous generations. They're more aware of the adverse health effects and, yes, more likely to prefer THC. It all comes full circle when you think about alcohol as a social lubricant that's not really necessary for a generation that doesn't socialize in person as much.
Finally, consider the entire concept of a snow day. Millennials and Gen X think fondly of snow days as a kid; long days spent sledding and having snowball fights. It was a permission slip to have reckless, wild fun, even from a young age. Today's young people are more likely to be stuck inside finishing remote homework or attending digital lectures with fresh powder outside. The sight of snow doesn't fill them with that nostalgic glee.
However, people of all ages are craving more analog experiences these days. More tactile objects and interfaces, actual buttons instead of touch screens, vinyl records instead of Spotify, and even chatting with friends in a coffee shop versus texting. If there's ever a world where going to bars could be affordable for young people again, maybe a snow day bar crawl with friends could be just what the doctor ordered.