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Dating has changed a lot over the past few decades. The way we meet romantic partners has evolved from the formal courtship era to a new normal of ‘Netflix and Chill’. Dating is much more casual and promiscuous now than it has ever been before.
Now, dating and alcohol go hand and hand. Grabbing drinks is one of the most convenient first dates. A casual meetup at a bar is much less pressure than a formal dinner at a fancy restaurant. Alcohol allows us to loosen up and get to know our dates better while taking the edge off first date jitters.
If you ask your parents, they may be appalled at the presence of alcohol in the dating world. But for millennials, it’s nothing more than a component of the average date. Alcohol is a part of the routine, even before meeting up with a potential partner.
A recent survey revealed that over 60% of millennials have one or more drinks before going on a first date. Men and women alike are equally likely to drink on a date. Universally, millennials tend to believe 2 to 3 drinks is an acceptable number to consume on a date.
While it may be viewed as socially normal to drink on a date, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t lead to some regrettable decisions. Half of millennials say they have done or said things on a date they later regretted as a result of drinking too much.
If a first date is going particularly horribly, drinking is incentivized even more. Some might say, alcohol is the perfect cure to an awkward situation. Ordering another drink will kill time when it feels like the seconds are taking hours to pass.
But how far is too far? Nearly 20% of men and 10% of women have blacked out at least once on a date. No matter how painful a date is, blacking out is not recommended. This could lead to some extra regrettable decisions that extend the date longer than needed. You’ll have to deal with the consequences of your actions soberly, it’s not worth it.
That means there’s a fine line on how much alcohol to consume. A drink or two can be harmless on a first date. But too many drinks can be detrimental, so know your tolerance and proceed with caution.
