Six Trends on The Up and Up
The drinking rate, Sterling Point, and Jon Ossoff
Trying something new today. Here are six trends that are on the up and up for Gen Z… according to me (and the data).
The drinking rate 🍸
Hey babe, wake up. Gen Z’s drinking 🤯. After years of headlines indicating that Gen Z was drinking less than prior generations of young people, and as more Gen Zers actually hit the age where they’re *legally allowed* to drink, data shows they’re making up for lost time.
According to an IWSR report from July, 74% of Gen Z said they drank alcohol in March 2026, which tracks with 76% of boomers who said the same. The research shows that our generation’s drinking to socialize, not to unwind. Maybe we’re just late bloomers after all.
Hobbies-based dating 🥰
After years of living perpetually-online, more and more young people are craving in-person connection. They’re also looking for romance. The result: our generation’s looking for love in unexpected places. Call it a side effect of Gen Z’s in-person renaissance, or IRL Summer, as I’ve been writing. According to an Eventbrite study which reviewed postings with phrases like “singles,” “come solo,” and “find your people,” activity-based gatherings meant for a “meet-cute” are surging.
Trivia nights jumped 403% in popularity since last year, along with Mahjong nights (which saw a 235% spike), and plant swaps and terrarium workshops (up 117%). Even birdwatching is popular (up 131%).
The entire cast of Sterling Point 🌲
Move over Love Island. There’s officially a new winner for Gen Z’s show of the summer. Similar to last year’s obsession with Summer I Turned Pretty and this winter’s fixation with Off Campus, Sterling Point is the hot teen drama everyone’s now talking about, and its cast is having a moment as a result. The cast feels weirdly familiar and yet also refreshingly different. I’m obsessed. Read the show’s writer-director Megan Park on “how she gave ‘misunderstood’ young people the show they deserve,” in Rolling Stone.
Jon Ossoff
The Georgia Senator isn’t just all over the internet. His name keeps popping up in our Gen Z focus groups, too. This week, the 39-year-old Democrat (the youngest sitting Senator) is going viral for suggesting during a campaign rally that President Donald Trump is cozying up with his aide Natalie Harp rather than doing the job of president. The clip of the remark is the latest made-for-social moment from the senator, who’s gained traction for turning rally moments into social media phenomena. And just today, he was called out by Axios as one of the Democrats’ hottest “thirst trap” candidates.
Sadie Sink (and red hair 🔥)
Last summer, Sink stunned in the Broadway sensation John Proctor Is The Villain. This summer, she entered the Marvel universe. From her Spider Man debut to upcoming roles in X-Men and Avengers, she’s all over the place. And, apparently, with her fiery locks, she’s encouraging Gen Z to go red as a result.
Since last year, according to Allure, Google Trends saw a 5000% jump in queries for “Sadie Sink Hair Color,” and colorists are allegedly seeing a bump in requests for her signature hue.
For a generation obsessed with individuality and being “different,” this tracks. I have to say, I’m all for it.
Buddymoons 👯♀️👯♂️
Why go solo when you can go with friends? After all, we know Gen Z is prioritizing spending on shared experiences over time alone. Meanwhile, the economy isn’t getting any better, and weddings are getting more and more expensive — and more and more of a group affair. A ‘buddymoon’ — i.e. a post-wedding trip with friends — keeps the vibes up after the big day. Plus sharing costs of travel can make a post-wedding trip more doable, and even more fun. It’s not necessarily brand new (The Cut wrote about the trend last year), but it sure seems like honeymooning with friends is officially a hot thing to do. Foratravel, the travel agency that democratizes who can plan luxury trips, posted earlier this summer about “the rise of the buddymoon,” and these trips are all over social media. I have a friend who did one after getting married earlier this summer, too.
💌 Let me know if you like this format, and I’ll make it a regular thing every once in a while 💌
Noteworthy reads
Is the Death of Millennial Wedding Culture Upon Us?, Rowan Beaird for Elle
Gen Z Can’t Afford a First Date, Troy Closson for The New York Times
Young Men are Abandoning the Workforce, Mary Julia Koch for The Wall Street Journal
Is the grid dead? How young people are changing the feed, Isabel Bekele for Dazed
Here’s What’s Cool on College Campuses for 2026-2027, According to Undergrads, Sophie Dweck for Town and Country