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At the time of Dry January and the NoLo trend, more and more people, especially young people, tend to turn their backs on alcoholic beverages. A trend that is spreading in the world of romantic encounters with the emergence of “Dry Dating”. Many singles prefer to avoid drinking alcohol on their first date in order to encourage more sincere and authentic encounters.
First dates can be a source of stress for many people. So often, ordering a glass of alcohol helps you disinhibit yourself and feel more confident. But in this month of Dry January – which consists of not drinking a drop of alcohol for the entire month of January – a new trend has surfaced: “Dry Dating”. The idea is to not drink alcoholic beverages on dates.
According to a Meetic* study, carried out among French singles, more and more of them are opting for “Dry Dating”. Around a third (28%) believe that drinking alcohol on a first date does not allow them to be fully themselves. And more than half (54%) decided to abstain from alcohol during this first meeting.
This approach would allow them to go on more authentic dates and avoid the embarrassing effects of drinking too much, such as ending up in a drunken state that would cause them to say or do things they might not to regret. As Dawn E. Sugarman, a research psychologist at McLean Hospital in Belmont and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, points out in an article in Washington Post“people often turn to alcohol to ease their anxiety. However, if you are not addicted to a substance, you may feel more comfortable presenting your true self.“.
Meetings without alcohol would thus guarantee more authentic encounters. They would also allow us to keep our minds clear and better evaluate the partner to know if the flow is really flowing. People would be more present and engaged in the conversation. This trend would coincide, according to the study, with the expectations of singles, who are looking for sincere and less superfluous romantic relationships. In 2024, singles are indeed ready to give less importance to criteria linked to age (42%) and physique (33%), but will not make concessions on the sharing of values (40%)
*Meetic study carried out in December 2023 among 802 men and women aged 18 to 64.
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