Less booze, more moves: Inside Gen Z’s new social scene - CNN

What the report says

CNN reports that Britain’s traditional pub-centered social life is facing pressure as many Gen Z adults look for healthier, lower-alcohol ways to meet people. The shift comes as pubs are already under financial strain: the British Beer and Pub Association said 161 pubs shut across England, Wales and Scotland from January to March this year, while the number of pubs has fallen from 60,800 in 2000 to 44,650 in 2025.

The article says rising costs and taxes remain major challenges for pubs, but researchers also point to changing habits among people born from 1997 to 2012. Thomas Thurnell-Read, a Loughborough University sociologist, told CNN that older generations often treated pub visits and heavy drinking as part of workplace and weekend rituals. By contrast, he said younger adults shaped by social media and career pressures may see hangovers and long nights drinking as wasted time.

CNN highlights running clubs, park runs, padel and alcohol-free “coffee raves” as examples of the changing scene. It cites London Marathon data showing more than a third of this year’s finishers were aged 18 to 29, compared with 18% to 21% in selected earlier years. The Lawn Tennis Association also reported rapid growth in padel participation since 2019, with clubs increasingly combining sport with food, workspaces and social events.

The report frames the trend as part of a wider reassessment of alcohol among young adults, rather than a total rejection of drinking. Experts quoted by CNN said Gen Z faces economic and social pressures that may make alcohol feel less like a release and more like a barrier to wellbeing, productivity and connection.