Do younger people go home earlier now? Or go out less? Is it since COVID?
Do younger people go home earlier now? Or go out less? Is it since COVID?
Someone asked a question about how frequently young people have time to socialize and it made me think about what people do with their evenings. I recently asked my son to go to a concert (free ticket to see a band i know he likes) and he declined because it was an hour away on a weeknight. If we invite our kids or niece/nephew to dinner they always want to go at 6/630 which feels so early. Edit: Kids are 30ish.
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My kids, the teenagers, definitely do not go out like I did - it's not money, most of what we did back then was just drink in empty parking lots, go to garage punk shows, concerts when we could. Sometimes the beach at night too. We had no money. They do similar (much less drinking, more of a police state now) but way, way less often and not usually till late.
The older set, 25-31, it varies. Some eat at civilized 8-9pm when they do go out. Some like to go at teatime then just go home.
The husband and I, we do usually go out to eat at teatime but sometimes go out for a drink, literally one, or to a concert or show.
Every single one of us, adults and teens, like outdoor concerts because they have to end by 11, noise ordinance. Or concerts at clubs that wrap them early to open afterwards as a dance club. Nobody likes staying up till 3am at a show anymore, but maybe nobody actually liked it in the first place?
Agree with everything you say except the final point - I absolutely LOVED being out clubbing until 3 (4, 5...)
Maybe it was just a product of my time as a young person, but being out that late and having a great time long after most people were asleep just felt so fundamental to my young adulthood.
That's not a criticism of those who prefer to stop sooner though, just a statement of how doing so would have felt alien to me. Each to their own though, as always.
The only time I really liked it was working swing shift. It was so wonderful to get out of work around midnight but still be able to catch some live music or even just sit at a bar on my walk home, have a couple of drinks. A lot like having the coffeeshop on my way into my day job now, it connects you to the community, and made the later work WAY more tolerable.
I will still go out to see a favorite band any day of the week, of course. But that calculation is very different now because I feel so much better with consistent sleep 11-7 every night, and do have a pretty demanding day job, kids, whole big life now.
Yeah, life does get in the way somewhat! :-)
If we have a show or something we eat early, or sometimes go to happy hour and eat there. Normally, we come home, talk to the animals, have a drink, and decide what to eat. We have an agreement that if we say NO to 5 restaurants, we're having for tacos. All of that usually occurs between 6 and 7 with dinner around 8ish.
We have an agreement that if we say NO to 5 restaurants, we’re having for tacos
I love this rule.
It has really reduced the 'what do you want for dinner' arguments.
I wish I had that rule back when I had roommates, one of which would constantly beg their wife to get delivery. It always caused arguments and would hold things up too much.
I agree with that. The best thing to come from the early-ending shows is less waiting. Remember the old days of standing for an hour between bands and the headliner started at midnight?