Why are students becoming sober-curious?

Are students being more health-conscious? Trying to get in better shape or just challenging themselves with the term sober curious? I knew when trying to understand why students are drinking less there was no better place to carry out my research other than on social media. With almost every young person being glued to their phone and obsessed with short-form content, I knew TikTok was where to go. After scrolling through the app, typing sober curious and adding uni to it to see if there was a difference, I managed to narrow down the answer as to why students are drinking less to two main things. Physical and mental well-being.

Physical health

It’s no surprise that making improvements to physical health is a major reason as to why students are drinking less. A recurring reason I found as to why students were aiming to drink less or stop completely was because of them researching the long-term effects of drinking irresponsibly and wanting to be at optimal health.  

Mental Health

Improving mental well-being was the other popular reason I came across as to why students were drinking less. Many students commented on having increased anxiety after drinking and noticing this improve after trialing not drinking for a month/months. Other students commented on having an unhealthy relationship with drinking as to why they stopped completely. It is also worth noting that some students felt more confident to talk about this online after watching videos of influencers and celebrities such as Tom Holland opening up about their decision to stop drinking completely.

Does it impact student life?

Being sober curious or not drinking at all does not prevent you from enjoying student life. With all the videos I watched and listened to students talking about their decision, the only thing I could say students wanting to drink less could expect is peer pressure and questioning as to why they made that choice. Many students felt an unspoken pressure to drink prior to their decision or were questioned. However, those that did talk about how it impacted their life as a student did say they were able to enjoy activities being sober. Here’s all the different kinds of sober activities in London for students to show how there’s so much to do in student cities outside of drinking alcohol.  

Sober socials and budgeting

Universities themselves are also encouraging sobriety in a way that makes it accessible. Being sober-curious doesn’t have to feel like a chore or scavenger hunt when looking for things to do. University societies have started introducing sober socials and opening up feedback forums for students to input what kinds of activities they would rather do without the pressurised system of social lubricants like alcohol. Sober socials included things like craft evenings, dress-up events, run-clubs and movie nights. There is an increasing range of sober options for students, now leading to less students drinking for the sake of drinking and being more mindful of what situations and contexts they feel alcohol is necessary. Budgeting also comes into play as a reason why more students are becoming sober or sober-curious. In terms of how this impacts student life, money is always a number one concern I hear from friends. Students have started seeking sober activities to save a bit of cash, especially on the weekends. Sometimes we want to go out and have a rager but the midweek spoons trips has done our wallets in and leaves us looking for (probably healthier) alternatives. Cost of living overall has gone up now effecting the prices of club tickets, alcohol, and transport. Sobriety and finances work interchangeably to have this impact on student life where we are broadening our scope on how we can spend time with our friends. Spending Friday nights in but Saturday day-times in town going to museums, parks, arcades, arts events or playing sports- all possible to still do with friends and at lower costs.

Money stress

University students are all too familiar with the concept of stress when it comes to money. As stated previously students budgeting and the cost of living is a very common discussion among student groups. And it’s no wonder when many people I have talked to have expressed how their student loans is often not enough to even cover their rent costs and so they must seek either employment to help bring in some extra funds or reach out to their university for assistance, if the place they attend offers such aid for their students. The affordability of things is a large factor that contributes to money stress. Those who do want to go for a night out in town have found that the price of drinks has increased significantly over the last couple of years. This can be related back to the cost of living crisis and the rise in prices everywhere. In fact The Morning Advertiser found that the price of a pint in the UK has had “an increase of 70% since 2008” and that “a pint in London now costs more than £8”. With prices like these it is no wonder as to why students are finding the idea of going out more daunting. While making sure you are budgeting enough for not only your bills/accommodation as well as other necessities such as laundry services (for those in student accommodation with laundry rooms on site) and food shops, the idea of going out for a drink with prices as high as they are doesn’t seem as appealing. The stress of having money issues can also be very damaging to not only students mental but physical health as well. Even when you budget your funds and think you have it all sorted but then those little expenses begin to pile up, emergencies happen and suddenly you find you have a lot less money than you previously thought. Experian found in a study that the stress of money among university students was so bad that “nearly half of those involved in the study avoid checking their bank accounts altogether” with “a quarter avoiding all communications from their banks”. This clearly shows just how much stress students are under when it comes to money if they are too afraid to even look at their bank accounts to see exactly how much they have available. With all this in mind it’s clear that the lack of substantial money is a contributing factor as to why students in the UK are choosing to adopt a more sober lifestyle. Without the pressures of going out and spending money, people are able to enjoy themselves more and make their time at university a much more fond experience to look back on.

Our final thoughts on why being sober curious is more attractive to students

If you’re looking for some more support on sobriety as a student, check out this advice piece on how to be sober curious for a deeper insight into the trends and lifestyle. Overall, there are many reasons why students are drinking less. Here we have provided a few insights but its always key to research your options when diving into University social life. Peer pressure is one of those things were taught in PSHE and think “oh thats not a thing in our age group” but perhaps its just operating in a much more discreet way now. The most important thing in University is doing what makes YOU happy. It is your own personal journey and no one else’s so don’t waste time comparing the experience to others. Our heartfelt advice is to spend that time finding friends that support your choices and joining in on societies and events that align with your values to make the most of a time you can look back on fondly. There may be nights out that we regret getting to messy but, having the chance to reflect on what is best for your health and happiness is never a mistake, just a redirection! Yours truly, Darcy, Sophie, Amy and Mia xoxo