Alcohol, young adults and the new millennium: Changing meanings in a changing social climate

Abstract

Situated within a social generations framework, this chapter explores some of the conditions shaping an apparent decline in alcohol consumption among young people. The authors review the importance of a number of changing social conditions and what it means for alcohol consumption among young adults, including changing patterns of work and study, living arrangements, the digital boom, the importance of parents and an apparent decrease in a range of other risky activities. The decline in young adult drinking is also contrasted against an apparent rise in mental health problems for young adults. The authors reiterate the need to consider long-term trends in alcohol consumption alongside broader social and structural factors and provide suggestions for future areas of research.