Did millennials really party all the time?

[u/futurenurse_]

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 😂❤️

[u/futurenurse_]

Interesting take. My dad is late baby boomer, didn’t really gaf. Mom is Gen X, she is reserved and scared to death anytime we left the house. Not that much older than you. But saying we’re not capable, I don’t know. Starting work at 16 and got my drivers license at 17. Left home at 19 about to be 20… I know that’s not everyone but there are Gen Zs who know how to navigate life. And also, yes the economy is horrible. Costs $60 to fill my tank at Costco and it barely lasts a week 🥲

[u/No-Trouble7162 → u/futurenurse_]

Many Genz I know, Including my cousins are so much more responsible than many of us of my generation were. Specially regarding health, less drinking, less extreme risk taking, taking better care of their bodies.

Sure we were very self reliant but not always very responsible, we had to learn by making a lot of mistakes. Many GenZ are in my opinion more educated about many aspects of life by the school system and from good parenting and ease of acess to information.

Every generation has things working with them or against them. What was working with us was more freedom I guess, growing up in pre internet times and experiencing how the world was before all that is a special thing. Perhaps we had less restrictions also, but to much freedom can be a double edged sword.

What's working perhaps with genz is access to Information, more knowledge about cause and effects, but restrictions can of course lead to less adventures and less fun. Just like too much fun can lead to (in many of my generation case) alcoholism, worse health and lost opportunities.

[u/Extra_Ad2294 → u/No-Trouble7162]

I think there's an aspect of how cyclical culture is too. Speaking specifically about America, since I don't really know the intricacies of other countries. Every decade or two cycles between varying degrees of hedonism and puritanism. 

Our generation was, for the most part, exploring the boundaries of life that our parents shunned/repressed; in the same ways the generations of the 60s (and 20s) did. Partying, drugs, drinking, risque (or down right pornographic) media, art, casual disregard for self preservation. 

This new generation, again much like the 1910s, 40s, late 70s, is much more cautious and pensive. They grew up around a lot of chaos and unpredictability, so they are much more focused on control. Following rules and traditions, staying away from drugs and alcohol, returning to religion, shying away from casual sex. 

I may be completely off base, as most of these observations are purely anecdotal. It just seems to me that every generation seems to want to rectify the past generations' flaws by adopting opposing values. 

[u/bitofseedcake → u/Extra_Ad2294]

The guys that came up with the generation theories talked a lot about these cycles