Full Breakdown
Gen Z's Growing Risk Aversion: Declining Alcohol Use, Investment Caution, and Social Trust
6/23/2026, 5:16:06 AM
Sharp Decline in Risk-Taking Behaviors Among U.S. Youth
In 2025, only 47% of 12th-grade students reported ever trying alcohol, the lowest proportion since Monitoring the Future began collecting data in the 1970s. This decline accompanies broader reductions in risk-related activities, including lower rates of early marriage, reduced confidence in personal relationships, and heightened preference for low-risk financial assets.
Historical Context and Emerging Anxiety
In the mid-1970s, 92% of 12th-graders had tried alcohol; by 2025 the share fell to 47%. Psychologist Jean Twenge reports similar declines in adolescent risk behaviors such as early sex and independent driving. University of Washington researcher Ryan Burge links rising anxiety to a preference for digital communication, indicating a broader shift toward risk avoidance.
Key Data Points
- Alcohol trial rate: 47% of 12th-graders in 2025, down from 92% in the mid-1970s.
- Marriage: 90% of 35-year-old men were married in 1980, now 60%; 83% of 12th-grade girls in 1993 hoped to marry, 61% in 2023.
- Self-assessment confidence: 12th-grade girls’ belief they would be “a very good spouse” fell by 11 points (2012-2022); boys’ confidence fell by 8 points. Only 13% of Gen Z say most people can be trusted.
- Caution attitude: Nearly 75% of Gen Z say “you can’t be too careful” when dealing with people, the highest proportion among all age cohorts.
Implications for Society
Risk aversion may affect several sectors. The decline in underage drinking is described as positive, yet higher anxiety predicts a preference for digital messaging over face-to-face interaction. Financial researchers observe that Gen Z prefers safer, liquid assets and avoids high-risk investments, contrasting with conventional expectations for younger investors. Declining willingness to form long-term relationships may influence marriage rates and household formation.
Conflicting Reports and Information Gaps
The article relies on Monitoring the Future surveys and academic analyses but does not present alternative datasets that might show differing trends in youth risk behavior. No official government statements or counter-studies are cited, leaving a gap in verification from public-policy sources.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Young Americans are drinking a lot less than they used to.” — Arthur Brooks, author
- “A new report making headlines from the research organization Monitoring the Future reveals that the percentage of teenage Americans who had tried alcohol in 2025 was lower than at any time since the data had been collected.” — Arthur Brooks, author
- “Depressingly, only 13 percent of Gen Zers say that most people can be trusted.” — Arthur Brooks, author
- “The result is that in pursuit of avoiding risk, Gen Z is avoiding people.” — Arthur Brooks, author
