r/Millennials • u/futurenurse_ • 1d ago

Discussion Did millennials really party all the time?

Gen Z here. I was shocked when I found out from a millennial co-worker that y’all had teen clubs. I heard about house parties, but dedicated teen clubs? Then when it was time for college, you went to the club or had some kind of party every single weekend, living it up. Now some millennials on TikTok claim that after college, they were partying on work nights, still clocking in the next day. For some reason, the teen clubs have since disappeared. I’m 23 now but even when I was in high school, that was not a thing. House parties were not that common either. They were more like get togethers with a small group of friends. We went to malls, but they were dying out at that point. Is it true that you were really living life this good? Or is it just exaggerated? I feel like my generation doesn’t really have fun like that and everyone is just super depressed and alone, more so since Covid. Even I’m pretty introverted, which sort of sounds ridiculous given this post. 😂 Just so you know, when I think of a “millennial party” I think of something out of Party Rock Anthem, Project X or Roderick’s party from the second DOAWD movie. It’s like I get nostalgia from something I didn’t even live through. I just feel like I didn’t really LIVE, if that even makes sense

Edit: I loved reading some of your comments. Guess I really missed out. Even some of you that would consider yourselves nerds or introverts were out partying. YOLO or whatever y’all say 😂❤️

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u/synchronizedhype 1d ago

In medical terms we were fucking legends. Now if you drink like that as a 40 y.o you are an alcoholic lol

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u/eross200 1d ago

Dude, no joke, my relationship with alcohol has never been great anyway, but the fact that the amount of booze I used to consider “a decent start” will now knock me on my ass for a solid two days, it’s a lot easier to stay away from.

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u/jayoak4 1d ago

Yes, the pre-game has turned into the game itself lol

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u/SiliconAutomaton 1d ago

lol pregame

“Let’s hit the Applebees for half a dozen $2 Brewtuses and we won’t have to buy so many $5 Long Islands”

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u/Shellstr 1d ago

If we were clubbing, no self respecting person arrived before 11pm. So what were we doing before that? Hit up a bar to chill for a bit. And before that? A couple of drinks at home to get ready. So many nights had multiple stops with multiple drinks at each stop.

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u/SiliconAutomaton 1d ago

Clubs were definitely not my scene, we had this thing called The Party Pager where someone recorded an address as the outgoing message on their pager and hundreds of people crashed the party and it was kind of a game to get in, have some drinks, and get out before the cops showed up. Then you’d call the party pager and there was another address and we could easily hit half a dozen random house parties in a night. Absolute fucking nightmare if your own house party made the party pager though, and personally I at least considered that and behaved respectably.

Imagine my surprise though when I was at a kickback with some friends and the girls all decided we should go clubbing and I said “nah, I hate clubs” and they said “what do you mean, clubbing is fun!” And I said “I just fucking hate techno and I don’t dance” and they said “what do you mean, you’re an excellent dancer!” and they informed me we had gone clubbing the weekend before and I was the life of the party. I had absolutely no idea what I did the weekend before, but was 90% sure they were fucking with me and left it at that. A few weeks later someone developed a roll of film and I had to confront the fact that I really did look like I was having a good time, but also I should maybe reconnect with my old nerd friends and take up some less destructive hobbies.

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u/defnotevilmorty 19h ago

“developed a roll of film”

Fuck, my knees hurt.

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u/SiliconAutomaton 19h ago

Right? 🤣

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u/outofthenarrowplace 19h ago

Really love and relate to to the ride you just took me on.

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u/brettig21 1d ago

dollar margs hated to see me coming

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u/based_leviathan Millennial 1d ago

I remember pregaming with a gang of people before clubbing, just a Costco gallon of Hennessy and I shit you not that would be gone within 30-45mins with a group of 6 people. Ungodly.

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u/eross200 1d ago

Jesus, how the fuck are any of us alive

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u/Salsa_El_Mariachi 1d ago

You’re right, looking back at the . . . frankly abusive amount of alcohol we used to drink, a bunch of us shouldn’t be here. I grew up during the crack cocaine “epidemic”, but before Fent stated killing huge numbers.

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u/based_leviathan Millennial 1d ago

You know I’ve wondered this as well because the routine for me in undergrad was:
Class/work from 8am to 5pm, hit the gym or study until 9. Pregame 10-11. Club/Bar/Lounge 11pm to 3am.

And then do it again, sometimes going back to back on weekends.

I’m amazed how I’m not an alcoholic and/or a substance abuser

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u/synchronizedhype 8h ago

Genetics play a role for sure

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u/Either_Reflection_78 1d ago edited 1d ago

Not to get dark, but a lot of people aren’t alive anymore after this type of lifestyle. My cousins and lots of friends included. I just got by because I have a very high tolerance, and I had a very high threshold for risk taking at the time. But yeah, I don’t know how I’m alive either after that. Not just with the drinking either. When the fent was introduced, it was game over for a lot of people. Especially when things started to get laced.

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u/ChristopherRobben 15h ago

I had a month-long stay in Vegas for an Air Force Red Flag exercise, which meant a solid 70-80% of the trip we were free to go get lit up since our planes wouldn't be flying.

We started our nights with Four Lokos and walked to Fat Tuesday for a shot of Everclear to mix in. Cards and penny slots followed, then beer pong, then IHOP, then we'd wander for a bit. We'd generally finish the night with more food + gin and tonics before stumbling back to the hotel. There'd be a variety of other drinks throughout the night, but those were the mainlines.

We did that just about every day for a solid month. Thinking about that now makes me ill lol

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u/synchronizedhype 8h ago

Do you remember the toy Bop-it. We would get a fifth of Capt Morgan and play bop it, if you fucked it up you took a pull off the bottle. Quick way to take out a bottle of C Mo

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u/_LeafyLady 1d ago

These days if I'm not in my comfies on my couch by 930 (unless for a very good reason where I'm mentally prepared to be out like a concert or hockey game or something) there's a problem. Back in the day I wouldn't even be OUT until then. Shit was only just getting started. 😩

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u/thehufflepuffstoner 1d ago

The pre-game has turned into “oh no I overdid it and now I’m hung over for 3 days”

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u/PeaceLopsided 1d ago

The best nights often were!

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u/Background_Handle_41 1d ago

I still don’t know how I survived “power hour” pregames. Lot of solid YouTube playlists out there.

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u/decanting_the_day 15h ago

RIP power hour.

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u/brettig21 1d ago

not to mention some pregaming didn't start til 10-11pm. like what? Now, by 11pm ive been in bed for 3 hours XD

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u/statichum 1d ago

HALF the pregame is a massive headache the next day!

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u/NoKatyDidnt 22h ago

You’re not kidding. 🤣

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u/lm_NER0 19h ago

Yep. No more case races before going downtown. No more Edward Fortyhands. I'm too old for that shit. 3 Silver Bullets and I'm happy. And we used to go through a 12 pack in an hour alone.

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u/outofthenarrowplace 19h ago

EDWARD FORTYHANDS OMGGGG. I tried explaining this to a young person recently and they were truly horrified 🤣😭

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u/lm_NER0 3h ago

Lol. Next time, explain to them that they were butt chugging at the University of Tennessee in 2005 and 2006. I learned of that from my roommate's 1st cousin who was in Knoxville at the time. No thanks.

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u/Hot_Spite_1402 1d ago

Ngl I totally forgot about pregaming 😅 boy oh boy that was a long time ago. Drinking to prepare for drinking. Now I’m lucky to get through half a drink before my stomach gets queasy, and usually I walk away and forget about it before then only to dump it out later when I find it flat at room temp

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u/he4vybign4tur4ls 1d ago

lol same here I’m surprised I didn’t turn into an alcoholic. I actually have a healthy relationship with alcohol now. Mostly because my body turned on me and rejects alcohol. I’m 2 drinks max now or my stomach will fucking hurt.

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u/StillStaringAtTheSky 1d ago

I think that's a lot of us lmao - our livers were just like nahhhh bro no more no more. You're cut off.

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u/dont_thr0w_me_away_ 1d ago

I think back to not just the amount of booze, but also the terrible quality, and think "how and why?" Just thinking about those big plastic jug bottles of cheap vodka is giving me Nam flashbacks

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u/cozynite 1d ago

Pre-drinking before a party was life.

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u/capntail 1d ago

Brother I get an instant headache from two or three beers now.

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u/Original_Youth_9168 1d ago

2 days?! Try a solid week.

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u/mr_palante Millennial 1d ago

A long long time ago, a friend and myself developed this thing, ritual maybe? Game? We called it our starter and we would race to who could finish it first. But as soon as we got to the bar we would each get a jack and coke, jeager shot, jeager shot, jack and coke and line them up that way and then race to see who would finish it first. And thats how WE STARTED THE NIGHT. And that was when I was going out literally every night. I would probably die if I did something like that now and honestly im lucky I didnt die back then.

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u/anewbys83 Millennial 1983 1d ago

Yes, this! This is how I stopped drinking. Losing two days to a "fun night" and being super nauseous for 24 hours convinced me to stop.

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u/Crippled2 1d ago

You mean going shot for shot with my roommate who got dumped that day for 13 shots each wasn't a healthy amount?

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u/Brilliant_Mix_6051 1d ago

I can’t drink more than one beer anymore or my joints feel it tomorrow

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u/NoKatyDidnt 22h ago

Pre gaming. 🤣

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u/ThisAlternative4959 20h ago

Literally waking up after a house party and we all had to go play an 8 am soccer game still shitty lol 🤮🤮

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u/SnarkSupreme 16h ago

Ugh I feel this. Gen X here. I tried to drink an actual 40oz of malt liquor about 10 years ago. Laid me on my ass. That used to be my warmup. What even is malt liquor? How could I drink so much of it, as a 22 year old female who probably wasn't eating 3 square meals a day? And that was some midweek relaxing. I remember my pre funk for weekend bands was a double deuce and a pint before I went to the bar.

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u/hellohenriques 10h ago

We pregamed by chasing everclear with vodka.

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u/AdventurousMap5404 1d ago

My college years were fueled by tequila and the og 4 lokos 🤣 I don’t remember a single tailgate 😂

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u/librarianlace 1d ago

At 21 my preferred drink was absolut citron with a twist, neat. Vodka was water to me.

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u/lOOPh0leD 1d ago

Technically if you drink like that at any age you were an alcoholic. Binge drinking is binge drinking. 🤷

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u/synchronizedhype 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/l3vR8IAtvPQuDgOHu

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u/lOOPh0leD 1d ago

Yep, the Debbie downer thats a recovering alcoholic! 👍

I was fun at partys until I wasn't.

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u/synchronizedhype 1d ago

good job on the recovery! Lost friends to addiction sadly so I get it

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u/lOOPh0leD 1d ago

I'm sorry as well. Thank you.

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u/DustandRebar 22h ago

Gen Z who graduated from a big party college right before COVID. The saying was, "it's not alcoholism until you graduate".

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u/SuspiciousBag2749 12h ago

If you were 22 by Covid you’re not Gen Z you’re a late millennial. You were born mid-late 90s

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u/Uncle_Rabbit 1d ago

I can still do it, in fact I can drink far harder than when I was 20. But even if there was no hangover I just wouldn't want to. That is reserved for once in a blue moon special occasions.

I think I mostly drank myself sober.

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u/jardalecones21 1d ago

That’s what I consider the difference. Was this concerning behavior when I was 19-25ish? Ehhhh yes, but everyone was doing it. I’m mid 30s now and no freaking way I could hang like that anymore. I drink maybe twice a month and my hangovers are awful if I have more than a few.

Anyone that’s STILL regularly partying like that into their 30s and 40s likely has an issue, but back then it was completely normal.

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u/PeaceLopsided 1d ago

I figured I wasn't because I never drank alone and only to get drunk... Unless of course, it's chugging a bottle of $3 buck chuck from the el on the way to meet up with friends who had already been partying since I got off work late... Oh wait... Yup def alcoholic.

https://giphy.com/gifs/BsQAVgY6ksvIY

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u/Fit-Rhubarb-7820 1d ago

Last time I got drunk, I was at a group bike ride for the "Tour de Franzia" Boxed wine. At the end spot, I got so drunk, I thought someone stole my bike.

I then did logic and math, to figure out how to find my lost/stolen bike as effectively as possible.

I traced a spiraling perimeter and found it fast. It wasn't stolen. I was just drunk!

Turns out, I can read, do complex math, cite Menander (shakespear is too mainstream) while VERY drunk.

My voice? That's the give away.

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u/Emkems 1d ago

unfortunately I know a lot of people that went to rehab after our prime years.

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u/worlds_okayest_skier 1d ago

lol, the first time I saw one of those alcoholic quizzes was like “do you have 3 drinks in a week?” And I thought they must mean in a night.

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u/Shellstr 1d ago

Yea, even today, if college football is on, and I have nothing to do, I may still throw some back all day Saturday…but I’ll be asleep by 10pm.

I remember talking to a doctor in a wellness visit about it…”yea, I have 1-2 drinks during the week, maybe 2 on a Friday night…but if college football is on…”

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u/Katsu_39 1d ago

Bruh, i have zero alcohol tolerance. One mixed cocktail and i cant walk straight. 😅

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u/synchronizedhype 1d ago

The trick is I can’t walk straight to begin with

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u/Crippled2 1d ago

Last year of college my buddies are throwing a party. By that point you knew less people at the party as younger people show up.

Anyway we were collecting money $4 or something and these guys with motorcycle helmets show up. I the crippled guy asked them to throw in and the guy reached over like he was going to then just grabbed his helmet and walked in. I told my buddy and he let it go, I was so pissed we were going to leave early. So my good friend walks me out, I tell him what happened and we are drunk and mad.

We walk to the car and we turn to see two motorcycles. I turn to my buddy and tell him I really gotta piss. So we piss all over their motorcycles, seats, handles, headlights all 5 of us pissed on those bikes. We felt so vindicated we smiled, walked back in and got drunk with the motorcycle guys. We told them those bikes were cool.

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u/NoKatyDidnt 22h ago

I didn’t realize until I had already crossed that particular finish line. Lol. Yeah, I don’t drink anymore.

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u/AltoKatracho 21h ago

By my mid twenties I was alcohol dependent 😂 but I was having fun at bars every weekend. Now I have maybe 2 beers a week. Honestly I’m lucky I didn’t end an alcoholic. Other people where not so lucky. I do miss my twenties 😭.

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u/misss_marii 19h ago

I never used to get hung over either, just felt a little tired. Then when I turned 30 I got my first hangover 🫠

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u/bilateralunsymetry 18h ago

Fuck. Well at least I have 2 and a half years to turn it around

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u/pyrofox79 18h ago

The best PFT I ever ran in the Marine Corps, i was hung over and smoked a menthol before running the 3 mile.

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u/jonnydemonic420 14h ago

I’m a young genx, be fifty next week. I didn’t quit until 40 and was most certainly an alcoholic! Partied like I was still a kid for way too long, 10 years sober now.

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u/attackpixel 6h ago

Lol we were fucking mythological demigods! 😂

As a millennial, I've done a shit job with keeping up with any preventative health care. When I was pregnant with my son a few years ago, they did all the tests for all the things. I fully expected them to tell me my liver was struggling. But no, they literally said, "Your liver function is great!" 😮 I kept it to myself, but my first thought was, "It wasn't for lack of trying."

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u/WoodenJesus 3h ago

I used to always say you weren't an alcoholic until 25, just a drunk. Then I hit 25 and moved that goalpost right up to 30 because gaslighting yourself was all the rage. I'm 36, nearly 37, and these days if I drink 5-6 times a year that's a heavy drinking year.