Clubbing as we know it may be a thing of the past even once the pandemic is over. Somehow in the lockdown years as we yearned for a night out on the town, polishing off drinks and dancing till dawn going to concerts, and partying all night became something of a craving that eventually died down.
And when venues started to open up again, lethargy and inertia took over. It seems the urge to party may not be what it once was. Clubbing suddenly seems like something that’s too expensive, tiring, time-consuming, and too much of a bother. It just isn’t the same anymore say many people. One editor calls it ‘rave fatigue’.
According to studies increasing numbers of young people are falling out of love with clubbing. In July the dance community Keep Hush published the results of their U Going Out survey which revealed that 25 percent of 18 to 25 year olds are less interested in clubbing following the pandemic. The main reason for this is less interest in drinking
“I used to be really confident when going out with people even if I didn’t know them so well but now it just stresses me out, “ said one 20 year old.
London School of Economics associate professor Dr Nicholas Long said, “In my research some people have experienced a sort of lockdown Stockholm Syndrome. They’ve just got habituated to staying at home and so that desire to socialize is diminished, especially if someone identified as a little bit introverted in the first place.”
Another factor which is attributed to less partying and clubbing is economic. The cost of living crisis is impeding young people’s ability to go out clubbing, said the survey.
Britain currently has 20% fewer nightclubs than it had when the country first went into lockdown in March 2020 and the phenomenon is a worldwide one not just in the UK. Nightclubs in general have been on the decline in the last 15 years or so according to a BBC report.
However for die-hard party goers, all is not lost. It is likely that this is just a temporary thing as entertainment venues and concert halls suffered the same fate during the 1918 flu pandemic as well only to rise sharply years later. Also it is quite possible that new methods of socialising will evolve and clubbing may no longer be what it once was.
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