Whether or not you drink alcohol or you do not drink alcohol it is in my personal belief that you should not discourage others for what they do or not not do. I am without a doubt partial to the odd glass of wine – but at social events, at this stage in my life at least, I prefer not to drink. As a result of this, I am faced with abundant questions: “Really?”, “Aren’t you having a drink?”, or the golden question “Lots of kids your age are dying to drink, why aren’t you wanting to drink?”.
It is not in my intentions to preach against alcohol at all, I love a glass of red wine. It just seems in this young adult party culture we are all involved in during the teenage years if you even so politely decline the offer of alcohol at an event you are instantly branded as ‘boring’. In the Lifestyle/Relationships Forum on The Student Room there is the question “I don’t drink alcohol… am I boring?” this alone demonstrates a national plea from teetotalers. I’m even feeling ‘boring’ writing this because I have been conditioned to believe that I am. In hindsight, this is perhaps not the approach we should take when it comes to people’s personal decisions over what to do with their bodies.
There is this common notion that kids who don’t ‘party-hard’, kids who would much rather study – or are more comfortable studying or staying in watching Netflix are ‘boring’ or just down right ‘sad’. I’ve come across this, being rather introverted myself I often get uncomfortable when some people assume that someone who isn’t particularly a social party person is instantly uninteresting. I often find myself saying “I don’t have a life” whilst laughing, explaining myself when I speak about what I did over the weekend to somebody, in reality – I just did what I enjoyed. Should we really have to explain ourselves for doing what we enjoy?
As, it appears there is an ever growing culture of normalizing certain teenage behaviours that are popular amongst the masses – as a result, those who do not partake in the activities normalized are belittled, judged. Thus, this is where people sometimes feel obliged to conform. Otherwise, they don’t feel they’re ‘normal’ if they don’t drink alcohol, if they don’t really like parties. Instead, they feel inadequate or ‘boring’. This must be addressed.
After all, it does not matter what one does so long as they’re happy and healthy – right? Not the case, clearly. For, as I am getting older i’m beginning to really question why it actually matters if I wanted an alcoholic drink or if I didn’t want a alcoholic drink at a party. It shouldn’t matter. More than often, if I have to explain to someone at a party that I don’t really drink, especially at social events a few have told me that it is imperative that I must “feel being hammered atleast once” that I “can’t go through life without not getting completely off your face – it’s a part of growing up”. Is it though, is it really? Not if you do not want to. Sure, if you want – go ahead. After all, I understand that many people associate alcohol in particular with great times they’ve had and I completely condone doing what you enjoy so long as it sustains your happiness and health. You must do what makes you happy. This whole idea that some people are conditioned to believe that those who don’t drink are ‘boring’ is a sad, a not so needed judgemental social pressure us teens are subjected to alongside our own other individual pressures.
What i’m trying to emphasise is, cup of tea or a beer – do not criticise someone for their choices. Perhaps next time you’re at a party and someone declines the offer on alcohol – do them a favour and reply “okay” instead of pursuing a game show style questioning.
