Gen Z Has Forgotten How To Socialize. The Cure Isn’t Run Clubs — It’s The Local Bar.

“Barely any of these Gen Z kids know how to make eye contact, let alone hold a conversation.” That’s what one editor said about my age group, while I, an eager 21-year-old Zoomer, met him for coffee, where we’d do precisely those two things.

His observation is nothing new or unique: I’ve had teachers, coaches, and coworkers say the same. I’ve watched as my peers (and myself, at times) flat-out avoid social interactions as small as a wave hello in the hallway. Despite hearing the same diagnosis for years, his remark reminded me why. During my freshman year of high school, COVID-19 obliterated social communion as we knew it. My generation faced a tall task: persevere in a world that came to a stop during our most formative years. Once Zoom classes ended, though, it was hard to face a world that was forever changed. Gen Z lost more than half a decade of authentic social interaction, but the time has come to recover it. What better place to start than at the bar?

While we are certainly not blameless, lockdowns and pandemic pandemonium undoubtedly fostered Gen Z’s social paralysis. A 2025 Harris Poll found that two-thirds of Gen Zers (65%, compared to just 22% of Boomers) say they had to relearn social skills after pandemic restrictions were lifted. Likewise, a recent Canadian survey revealed that 52% of Gen Z reported a decline in social skills following the pandemic.

Six years later, the effects linger, and the old drivers of social interaction are dying: A new Workday report found that Gen Z employees are 12 times more likely to feel completely disconnected from their colleagues than their Gen X coworkers, citing feelings of distrust and lack of substantive conversations. Though once a hit, even dating apps aren’t cutting it anymore. About 79% of Gen Z users experience dating app burnout, according to a Forbes Health survey. While the statistics paint the picture, anyone who’s encountered the gaping emptiness of the “Gen Z Stare” needs no numbers to illustrate the crisis at hand.

Whether in the workplace, on dating apps, or even in this eerily developing age of parasocial relationships, young people are yearning for community. Might I suggest grabbing a beer?

I know this might ruffle some feathers in the wellness community, especially among my peers who are apparently attending the frat “wellness darties” (darties = day parties), but I mean it. Several studies have found that Gen Z is drinking “differently” than its predecessors, replacing cocktails with mocktails and trading Thursday keggers for run clubs. No shade to the wellness crowd, but let’s not forget the golden rule: Everything in moderation. Gen Z socialization needs just a little something to take the edge off.

Slight alcohol consumption provides disinhibiting benefits that reduce social anxiety, and research suggests a drink also makes people want to be in a happy, talkative environment. A little bit of liquid confidence can help spark conversations that would never happen over text, leading to substantive connections and friends — and a reason to come back next week for more of the same.

I’m not suggesting every person struggling with community needs to drink; I am, however, suggesting that a few casuals with your friends will build social confidence in ways that other proposed remedies fall short. Take THC, for example, which is increasingly popular among young adults: A PubMed study found that frequent use of marijuana, but not alcohol, is linked to higher levels of loneliness and psychological distress.

And, yes, group dinners and Strava runs are excellent social scenes gaining real momentum — but the Gen Z stare is still staring. Run clubs and fitness circles will never match the social design of bars. I know the last thing I want to do after finishing a run is socialize with my peers, and I’d venture to say that’s not just me. Conversations begin at a barstool, not a starting line.

Going to the pub like Ted and Marshall in “How I Met Your Mother” or the roommates in “New Girl” will not only help ease the rampant social tension, but it will also provide the chance to get to know that coworker more, or to buy that pretty girl a drink instead of finding her on Hinge to avoid the conversation.

Maybe next time I meet up with an editor, I’ll do it over a cold one instead of a coffee.

***

Julia Cassidy is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh and an alumna of the National Journalism Center, where she wrote over 150 articles for Townhall. She writes and makes video content for the College Fix. 

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.