Alcohol consumption survey data from Gallup

Sherwood News

A sobering reality check for the future of alcohol

A new Gallup poll finds that 65% of 18 to 34-year-olds now believe moderate drinking is harmful

8/14/24 9:18AM

America has changed its mind on many things over the years: politics, seat belts, cigarettes, running for fun, nerd culture, Lance Armstrong, food trucks, electric vehicles, Abercrombie & Fitch, whether we’re about to have a recession… and more.

The latest? Alcohol.

A new Gallup survey reveals a growing consensus that alcohol consumption might be detrimental to our health, with 45% of respondents believing that moderate drinking, defined as one or two drinks daily, is harmful. That’s a larger share than the 43% who think it makes no difference, and the (diminishing) group who view moderate drinking as healthy — a stark contrast to the attitudes of the early 2000s.

The changing perception is particularly pronounced among younger generations.

A whopping 65% of 18 to 34-year-olds — a demographic once synonymous with heavy drinking — now believe moderate drinking is harmful. That’s significantly more than the 39% of those aged 55+ who share this view, and it’s opening new markets for no- or low-alcohol drinks companies like Athletic Brewing, which was recently valued at $800 million.

What's behind this dramatic shift?

So many things. Large studies, including one highlighted in the NYTimes this week, as well as the rise of health-focused media, such as the Andrew Huberman podcast, are talking up the dangers and damage that alcohol can cause — as are the changing demographics of younger generations.

As the allure of alcohol diminishes, some Americans are embracing other substances, such as marijuana, for relaxation. In fact, one study found that the number of daily or near-daily cannabis users has now surpassed that of frequent drinkers.

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6 months after hiking Game Pass prices by 50%, Xbox determines it may be too expensive

Microsoft’s new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, thinks the division’s recent price hikes have been a mistake, per an internal memo to employees seen by The Verge.

“Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation,” Sharma’s memo reportedly read.

It’s an interesting take, given that Xbox hiked the price of its Game Pass subscription by 50% in October, before Sharma took over. The memo is a signal that Sharma’s tenure — which began in February, taking the industry by surprise — will include some big changes for Microsoft’s gaming strategy.

Whether Game Pass prices will drop is not yet clear. Last month, The Information reported that Sharma and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters have “kicked around ideas” about potential bundles. That would fit with Netflix’s renewed gaming ambitions.

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Will a resolve to reduce screen time see a revival of landline telephones?

For parents trying to limit their kids’ exposure to smartphones, the answer could be yesterday’s tech.

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Rory McIlroy just secured a second consecutive Masters title — and the biggest prize pot to date

Winning a sixth major title in the year of a record purse, McIlroy is now the Masters’ highest-earning golfer.

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Roblox announces age-based accounts for young users as child safety lawsuits pile up

Roblox on Monday announced its first accounts created specifically for young children and teens, furthering its efforts to increase child safety on the platform.

In June, Roblox Kids (for ages 5 to 8) and Roblox Select (for ages 9 to 15) will roll out, following the company’s global launch of mandatory age checks in January.

The new account types will feature different default settings — chats will automatically be set to “off” on Kids accounts — and limit access to games of certain ratings depending on age.

Child safety lawsuits and social media bans are piling up for Roblox, whose shares have dropped more than 30% year to date. In February, Los Angeles County sued the platform, alleging it created a “largely unsupervised online world” in which “child predators can readily locate, contact, and interact with minors.”

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The new account types will feature different default settings — chats will automatically be set to “off” on Kids accounts — and limit access to games of certain ratings depending on age.

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Amid engagement downturn, Epic Games reportedly planning first game with Disney for November launch

“Fortnite” maker Epic Games, struggling through an engagement downturn that led the company to lay off 1,000 employees last month, is leaning into its Disney partnership to turn things around.

Per a report by Bloomberg, the company is set to launch a new extraction shooter (in the vein of Nexon’s hit “Arc Raiders”) featuring Disney characters in November.

The game will be the first to come out of Epic and Disney’s partnership, which began with a $1.5 billion investment from the entertainment juggernaut in early 2024. If the November launch date sticks, the game will also land at the same time as Take-Two’s massive “Grand Theft Auto 6.” According to Disney, new CEO Josh D’Amaro has been a longtime champion of the Epic partnership, and the exec is said to have made tech-based interactivity a priority for the company.

In recent weeks, rumors that some senior executives at Disney are pushing for Disney to eventually acquire Epic have made headlines, first reported by tech journalist Alex Heath on entertainment podcast “The Town.”

A sobering reality check for the future of alcohol

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