One of the most difficult things to explain to older generations is that the America they grew up in no longer exists.
We often try to quantify these changes in terms of real estate, inflation, or the percentage of wages that are left for disposable income. Some changes can be generalized with sweeping statements about how Gen Z has poor social skills and an odd relationship with technology. Yet, occasionally, the divide between older and newer generations can be perfectly captured by a clear social change.
Recently, a viral post on Reddit from a Gen Z user asked the question: Were house parties ever really a thing?
The individual (a female, apparently, based on the user name) mentioned how so many of her favorite teen movies from the 1990s and early 2000s were filled with scenes of huge house parties, parties that were complete with music, dancing, and lots of laughter. She asked whether this was “a thing that just doesn’t happen anymore, or is [this] just Hollywood trying to make me hate my life more?”
Since the post-World War II period, the number of households owning multiple automobiles has risen drastically. This increase resulted in newly licensed teenagers having the freedom to go out in the evening. The early 1950s were the beginning of “teen” culture, where young adults were forging their identity in social situations. Drive-ins, soda shops, and sock hops laid the foundation for young Americans to socially integrate with their peers, allowing them to transition from adolescence to adulthood with better refined communication skills.
The Reddit post earned thousands of responses, many from other Gen Z kids who agreed. They had never been to a house party and were only familiar with them as a Hollywood trope. This indicates that young people don’t have the same kinds of casual, face-to-face interactions that used to be a normal part of culture for most people.
This is a growing phenomenon, as evidenced by a 2023 survey that stated the number of high schoolers who spent time with their friends every day dropped from 44 percent to 32 percent between 2010 and 2022. The widespread usage of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok shares some of the blame for this personal disconnect. A huge part of that dip, however, occurred during the pandemic. Lockdowns forced young people to shift their friendships online, choosing instead to meet on Discord or FaceTime instead of in person. Though Covid restrictions eventually eased, this new form of communication had become normalized among youths.
Online learning further cemented the decline of in-person engagement. Even Ivy League universities weren’t immune to the shift. The University of Pennsylvania began offering a bachelor’s degree that could be earned while only ever having to be physically present on two occasions. Harvard, Yale, and Brown all began offering hybrid programs that allowed students to take many (or in some cases all) of their classes online, slashing the number of in-person requirements associated with the collegiate process.
High schoolers were most directly affected by the pandemic’s shift to online learning. Since 2020, 63 percent of K-12 students have participated in some form of online education on a daily basis. Educators have argued that online access allows for a more adaptable learning structure. Unfortunately, for those taking full-time online classes, their graduation rate is 30 percent lower than that of a student taking in-person classes. Schools have become online workshops that don’t give young people the space to develop their social skills.
House parties were a way for young people to connect with one another after a long week of math class and football practice. They forced nerdy boys to talk to pretty girls, and they encouraged different cliques to figure out how to interact with one another.
When the pandemic shuttered kids in their rooms, it forced them into niche friend groups. TikTok’s algorithm is famously and dangerously designed to adapt to the user’s interests. This means that kids only see content from people who share their hobbies, lifestyles, and beliefs. An artistic kid won’t come across a sports highlight on his social media feed, and different groups become increasingly withdrawn from one another.
Worse, these young people aren’t seeing their friends, either. Forty percent of Gen Z youth are more likely to play video games with their friends than to spend time with them in person. The pandemic also introduced virtual movie nights, meme sharing, and video game live streams as replacements for actual interaction.
Most Gen Zers don’t appear to believe that there is a difference between online and in-person friendships. They value both equally, and sometimes even prefer online friendships. Young people in rural areas can form friendships with others who share their niche interests. For many kids whose pastimes may be a bit odd, this is a way to isolate themselves into virtual echo chambers. It’s a way to avoid the difficulties of awkward social interactions.
The discomfort that comes with the awkwardness of youth has also been exacerbated by isolation. The removal of social circles has allowed the teen mental health crisis to snowball. More than 30 percent of teens in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder, which is often characterized by intense worry, fear of social situations, and avoidance. More than 40 percent of high school students claim that they feel hopeless, which is also linked to the rising number of kids self-harming. As these numbers continue to climb year after year, it’s clear that this is not just a fad but a lasting danger to child development.
It makes sense that house parties have disappeared. So much of youth culture was set aside after pandemic lockdowns destroyed kids’ social spaces. School dances and sporting events have also apparently decreased in popularity as Gen Z settles into a technological new age. The long-term consequences of removing physical social spaces for kids have changed the fabric of American society.