It is probably a long time since everyone moving into their first apartment added a corkscrew to the list of essential utensils to have in their kitchen, to be stored between the cutlery and the bottle opener. For many young people, gaining independence seemed to go hand in hand with being able to open a good bottle – or at least a bottle – at any time, alone or with acquaintances.
But things have changed, The Independent sayswhich provides this very revealing statistic: among British people aged 18 to 25, only 27% own a corkscrew. It is obviously worth comparing this figure with another, which shows the gap between generations: among the over-65s, also in the United Kingdom, corkscrew owners represent 81% of individuals.
Disaffection
So young people don’t drink wine anymore. At least they don’t drink wine at home anymore. Or, The Independent suggests, not quite so convincingly, it’s just that the bottles they buy don’t have a good old cork stopper. Either way, attitudes have clearly changed compared to what was happening just a few decades ago.
The primary reason for this disaffection for the corkscrew is very simple: a significant portion of Generation Z is completely disinterested in alcohol. An American survey reserved for those over 21 belonging to this generation – in order to only question adults – showed for example that 45% of them have simply never drunk it. Wine is particularly on the decline, with global consumption having fallen by 2.6% last year to reach the lowest levels since 1996, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine.
Among the main reasons given by young people for not drinking wine are high costs, health risks and the availability of other ways to indulge, including alcohol-free cocktails. Gone are the days when independence meant pouring yourself a drink for the fun of it, to enjoy your evening or to help you study – and that may be good news.
Because as The Independent points out, having a corkscrew at home, and therefore giving yourself the opportunity to drink at home, can contribute to creating a relationship with alcohol that is not healthy at all. The glass of wine to relax, the one that gives you courage and the one that you pour yourself mechanically without thinking all contribute to the slow establishment of addictive behavior. The idea of no longer consuming alcohol, or at least of only consuming it outside, in moderation, during moments of sharing, clearly presents fewer risks and allows you to make it a pleasure instead of transforming it into a risk.
Source: www.slate.fr
