It's no secret that alcohol has long served as a "social lubricant", for nearly as long as human civilization has existed. The old trope about alcohol helping the ugly and the shy to have sex, is as truthful as any other.

For previous generations, alcohol gave men the "liquid courage" to approach, and allowed uptight women to "relax and give him a chance". It helped people not only to meet, but to practice and develop their social skills, in a more relaxed, IDGAF environment. For myself, as a guy prone to overanalyzing everything, the nightclub environment in general, helped me to "get over myself" and quit worrying about every little thing I said.

I've heard some say that alcohol usage, and nightclub attendance are both on their way out, even without counting the pandemic. Is that true? Have the venues merely changed? Sports bars vs Dance clubs? If true, are the younger generations losing something important, or is this decline a good thing? Could younger gens benefit from the "social training wheels" of alcohol?

What do you guys think?