Rate your current mental health level out of 10

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by peter12

I thought paying was your kink?

drinking is my kink

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by troutman

Why can’t you do that without the beer? It is a myth people need alcohol to have fun.

As a young person I was very shy, and binged drinked on the weekend. I thought it would make it easier for me to socialize. It did not - it just lead to bad decisions and hangovers. I was not having “fun”. It’s a crutch, and not a very good one.

I still enjoy a drink a couple of times a week to accompany a meal or a movie. I can’t stand being drunk or being around drunk people. They are not fun or charming at all.

Nobody has claimed people need alcohol to have fun. There are many ways people can socialize. But they’re pretty much all declining, and health experts are raising the alarm that this is really, really ####ing bad for mental health, and is almost certainly a major factor in the decline of mental health in general, and for young people in particular.

So we should be trying to stop the decline of pretty much anything that fosters face-to-face socialization, including moderate social drinking.

You’re into live music, right troutman? It basically can’t survive at the grassroots level without alcohol sales to fund shows. If social drinking goes away, so does live music and all the fun and connections it provides.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

With addiction being a main driver to a lot of issues, I’m not sure this is the right thread to debate the positives of drinking…

Isolation and loneliness are also major drivers of mental health issues. You can’t really talk about mental health on a society level without recognizing the crisis of social connections.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Nobody has claimed people need alcohol to have fun. There are many ways people can socialize. But they’re pretty much all declining, and health experts are raising the alarm that this is really, really ####ing bad for mental health, and is almost certainly a major factor in the decline of mental health in general, and for young people in particular.

So we should be trying to stop the decline of pretty much anything that fosters face-to-face socialization, including moderate social drinking.

You’re into live music, right troutman? It basically can’t survive at the grassroots level without alcohol sales to fund shows. If social drinking goes away, so does live music and all the fun and connections it provides.

If you're relying on GenZ to save music I have very very bad news for you Cliff!!!

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by peter12

I don't think anyone has made the point that there is "sod all" we can do to change society...

If you are worried about your kids and social media, don't let them have it. Find other things for them to do. Parents all around the world are dealing with this issue and having varying degrees of success. It's not like oh well learn to cope was ever an effective strategy to deal with any kind of serious problem ever.

I wasn't suggesting individuals would have to 'learn to cope' but as a society we will have to though, there is no way to keep your kid from social media now, I have held the line at not buying my kids phones but they get them anyway, the only way to keep your kids away from social media would mean moving to the far north and homeschooling them, basically dad/Unibomber and your kids will hate you for it and accuse you of diddling them as soon as they hear about foster care

[troutman]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Nobody has claimed people need alcohol to have fun. There are many ways people can socialize. But they’re pretty much all declining, and health experts are raising the alarm that this is really, really ####ing bad for mental health, and is almost certainly a major factor in the decline of mental health in general, and for young people in particular.

So we should be trying to stop the decline of pretty much anything that fosters face-to-face socialization, including moderate social drinking.

You’re into live music, right troutman? It basically can’t survive at the grassroots level without alcohol sales to fund shows. If social drinking goes away, so does live music and all the fun and connections it provides.

Live music venues are surely facing the reality that young people are drinking less. There are many all ages shows where there is no alcohol. My sons’s band can fill the Palomino at $15-$20 per head, and a lot of that crowd is not drinking. I don’t know what the bottom line looks like for these venues. More and more shows take place in basements and pop-up locations.

Calgary will be 2 Million people in 5 years. I think the well managed clubs will adapt and survive.

[afc wimbledon]

My experience is my kids no longer care about music much, they listen to it but no longer know or care who they are listening too, it's just the soundtrack to their social media, I haven't had a kid put up a music poster since the hey day of Eminem 1999 approx'

When the kids get older they pick up on big shows in town, the 200 dollar Rogers Arena tours but aren't even aware there are smaller clubs with live music, ironically at 63 I go to more concerts in small venues than they do

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

My experience is my kids no longer care about music much, they listen to it but no longer know or care who they are listening too, it's just the soundtrack to their social media, I haven't had a kid put up a music poster since the hey day of Eminem 1999 approx'

When the kids get older they pick up on big shows in town, the 200 dollar Rogers Arena tours but aren't even aware there are smaller clubs with live music, ironically at 63 I go to more concerts in small venues than they do

Some counterpoints.

There are no rap songs in the Top 40 for the first time in 35 years.

My 21 year old son has music posters on his wall and took up the guitar at 20 and practices religiously. He's pretty decent.

My 23 year old daughter meticulously curates her playlists and has to have everything set up perfectly before she drives anywhere.

Neither wants, or can afford to, spent $100 on concert tickets. Gen Z has been priced out of live music.

[troutman]

Gen Z can and does see great local music for $0 - $20.

Big arena shows are another creature.

Getting back to mental health - research shows live music is very good for mental health. You can really get transported to a flow space where time falls away.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by troutman

Gen Z can and does see great local music for $0 - $20.

Big arena shows are another creature.

Getting back to mental health - research shows live music is very good for mental health. You can really get transported to a flow space where time falls away.

Ironically, this his is what a drink or two will do for many people and why so many people enjoy it.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by troutman

Gen Z can and does see great local music for $0 - $20.

Big arena shows are another creature.

Getting back to mental health - research shows live music is very good for mental health. You can really get transported to a flow space where time falls away.

Our band played an all ages show in Reddeer and it was packed. Good vibes at those pop and chips shows.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Ironically, this his is what a drink or two will do for many people and why so many people enjoy it.

Live music + drink or two = even better flow state.

But yeah, flow state is a good way to describe the feeling many have when they’re getting together with friends on a patio or a pub and having drinks. The energy, the connection, the laughter - that’s the stuff we need to cultivate more of to foster mental health. Doesn’t have to be drinking, but for a lot of people it helps.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

One of the challenges is that a lot of the social interaction happens via social media and on devices
So if you cut them off you risk them becoming ostracized

Compared to what it does to kid's brains, I'll take that (potential) tradeoff. Especially once you add on the added risk of ADHD, online bullying, increase of social anxiety, diminished people skills etc.

I think the goal is not to cut them off, but to delay introducing it to them in the first place. Our kids (13 and 10) don't have social media or personal phones, and they seem to be fine hanging out with the other kids who don't have those things either, which thankfully seems to be more common these days. I'm sure the pressures increase into the teens, but even at this age, I find there's a noticeable difference within the friend group....the kids without devices are more sociable, look you in the eyes when talking, and can say more than two words. I actually think they are in ways more balanced with tech than my wife and I, who can't seem to put our phones away for more than a few minutes.

Social media should be up there with alcohol and nicotine...not until you're 18...and even then, advised only in moderation (which seems to be impossible, but you gotta let adults adult).