Monthly Archives: June 2019

Is “Sober Curious” the new trend for the upcoming new decade?

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“We don’t have to drink. There’s nothing that says, as an adult being, you have to consume alcohol,” says British writer and founder of the movement Sober Curious, Ruby Warrington. In December 2018, Warrington released the book Sober Curious, which offers an eye-opening new way to think about our relationship with alcohol.  Sober Curious reveals the enormous benefits that come from unlearning the mindless habit of drinking.

Think of sober curiosity as a “wellness” approach to (not) drinking alcohol.  The idea isn’t a hard stop to drinking or a 12-step process to sobriety, Warrington said. It’s not a recovery method for alcoholics, either. It’s about recognizing drinking habits and acting on that understanding. Maybe it means cutting out all alcohol, or just not drinking on weekdays. Warrington added that it’s the idea that alcohol determines our fun, intimacy, friendships, and experiences to the point that some Americans have tapped out of the present and aren’t fully living.

But how effective is this sober curious movement? Are women really  going to put down their cocktails and “mommy juice” for mocktails and lemonade?

My immediate thought was drinking has become way  too accessible for drinkers to stop now. We are drinking at work, in the early mornings, and on  Sundays, the day that was once considered a holy day. People are even drinking alone and getting alcohol delivered directly to their homes. The means of getting drunk has become limitless, so why stop?

There are many reasons to cease or  limit your alcohol intake. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention excessive drinking can cause chronic disease such as liver cirrhosis, unintentional motor vehicle traffic injures and violence.  However, many drinkers are unaware of the harm alcohol can cause. Drinkers feel since they are “drinking responsible” they are safe from consequences. Unfortunately, for some, just because you are binge drinking at home or taking an Uber  instead of driving doesn’t mean you don’t have a drinking problem. 

So really how did we get to the point where we feel like drinking is inevitably? If you decline a drink, you are scolded and peer pressured to just take a sip. I blame social media.  Social media networks have wired our brains to believe that there is nothing wrong with drinking in excess. There are so many memes that encourage to drink when you are sad, when you want to have fun, or relax. We are inclined to post a picture of us drinking to show fun is happening or to prove that we are taking time out for ourselves by having a drink.

In order to combat drinking as a negative reinforcement, we  have to replace memes that encourage drinking whenever there is a slight inconvenience or memes that justify drinking for every occasion. These  new memes can motivate drinkers to feel stimulated without drinking and enjoy activities such as working out, reading, or cooking

.Image result for when my friends ask if i wanna go to the gym  Image result for when my friends ask if i wanna go to the gym

Society has made us believe that binge drinking is euphoric. If I drink this bottle of wine, I will be having the time of my life. The sober curious movement challenges that social norm and forces drinkers to be more mindful about consuming alcohol. It’s a movement that brings awareness of drinking dependence. Even if people start going to the bars and having 1 drink instead 1o that is proof the movement is working.

  The new decade is now less than six months away,  will the sober curious movement be the new wave? 

Sober Curious: Alcohol-Free Movement is on the Rise

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Sober curiosity is changing how we think about alcohol consumption and is contributing to a movement that is re-branding alcohol-free choices. The term, coined by the British journalist Ruby Warrington,  is also the title of her new book which places thoughtful emphasis on what motivates us to drink and how we feel when we consume alcohol. Below are examples of new trends that could help advanced sober curious crusaders [1].

New studies show that internationally, people would like to drink less and research also shows that in some places, Millenials are drinking less. One international cross-sectional survey involving 21 countries found that 33% of the respondents indicated they were interested in drinking less alcohol over the next year [2]. When participants were asked why they would like to cut down on alcohol consumption, some of the main reasons included being healthier, while others experienced an alcohol-related trauma or event like a sexual assault that motivated a desire to change drinking habits [2]. Another study explored recent trends in non-drinking among UK Millennials to understand the motivating factors as to why this younger generation was abstaining from alcohol consumption or delaying initiation of alcohol. This study found that on average, younger people were abstaining from alcohol and while the exact reasons are unknown, the authors posit that a combination of strict alcohol laws and policies, a desire to be healthy and more widespread knowledge of the harms of drinking are shifting the social and cultural norms that are influencing drinking behaviors among younger people [3].

Overall, alcohol sales are on the decline, and some are capitalizing on this new trend positively. For example, there is a growing number of events in different cities that are connecting sobriety to other topics of interest (i.e., entrepreneurship). So instead of alienating non-drinkers, there are new opportunities for people to connect and be social without any pressure or stigma to drinking. In addition many bars and menus are enhancing their “mocktail” menus (of alcohol free drinks) and cities like New York and Chicago proudly boast about sober or booze-free bars (and pop-up bars) that exclusively serve mocktails and cater to the sober crowd or sober professional that still wants to socialize and have a good time[1, 4].

Sober curiosity aims to normalize the right that every individual has to completely abstain from drinking alcohol or to say no to alcohol at any given moment, for whatever reason. Ruby Warrington was interested in creating a term that engenders a safe alcohol-free option for people who still wish to participate in social functions where alcohol typically plays a role. A sober curious philosophy embraces lifestyle choices for people who might be more conscious about other health issues and actively trying to sleep better, engage in physical activity, and make healthier eating choices. To demonstrate the popularity of this topic and the budding interest that might be representative of a more significant trend, there are now smartphone apps and a podcast titled Sober Grind dedicated to exploring sober curiosity in more depth [5].

It’s up to us to pick our poison as they say, but at least now maybe there will be fewer eye rolls if a non-alcoholic beverage is the drink of choice. At the very least, it’s a conversation starter and hopefully allows both drinkers and non-drinkers alike to reflect.

References

  1. Fallert, N., Why you’re likely going to hear more about being “sober curious”, in Vox. 2019, Vox Media. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/3/26/18267092/sober-curious-nonalcoholic-drinks-spirits
  2. Davies, E.L., et al., Motivations for reducing alcohol consumption: An international survey exploring experiences that may lead to a change in drinking habits. Addict Behav, 2017. 75: p. 40-46.
  3. Ng Fat, L., N. Shelton, and N.J.B.P.H. Cable, Investigating the growing trend of non-drinking among young people; analysis of repeated cross-sectional surveys in England 2005–2015. 2018. 18(1): p. 1090.
  4. Frishberg, H., NYC’s sober bar scene is a ‘hip’ oasis for booze-free fun, in New York Post. 2019: New York. https://nypost.com/2019/04/23/nycs-sober-bar-scene-is-a-hip-oasis-for-booze-free-fun/
  5. O’Brien, S.A., People are sick of drinking. Investors are betting on the ‘sober curious’, in CNN Business. 2019: New York. https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/08/tech/alcohol-alternative-sober-curious/index.html

Alcohol and Harm: Breast Cancer

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Before attending our class on Women and Alcohol, I was unfamiliar with the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer. I had some awareness that alcohol was harmful, but did not know about its direct links to cancers. It is interesting to me that I, along with my peers, can recall learning that one glass of red wine may be beneficial to one’s health, but very few women I have asked remember learning about alcohol and its link to cancer.

As it turns out, this factsheet says that researchers have found no association between a small consumption of red wine, but all the research says that there is no doubt that alcohol is significantly associated with certain cancers. Since many of us enjoy drinking some red wine, this may be the reason why we have “tunnel vision” and are only remembering hearing about a positive effect for our behaviors and not the negative effects. I feel like a lot of the time individuals tune out information that they do not like or information that goes against what they regularly do and like to do because it is not something that they want to hear. Most people do not like to hear that something they are doing is not positive and healthy behavior. It is also really hard to make behavior changes so most people do not want to learn that they have to change their behavior.

                                         

I think we need to work harder to create prevention programs that better disseminate these messages. One idea would be to find a way to target the vulnerable population, women. This could be done by creating more ads/commercials on television channels that women frequently watch such as ABC, E and Bravo. Another way to target women would be by requiring alcohol companies to put a warning label on their alcohols about links to breast cancer. Specifically, it would be important to put these warning labels on “women targeted alcohol” such as the low calorie drinks like Truly or Wines. These drinks are commonly drunk by women. Another prevention program idea is to put up factsheets and advertisements in some locations that are commonly frequented by women such as grocery stores or shopping malls. I think that it is important to create advertisements that would attract women and catch their attention. This can be done using bright colors. This is also something that doctors should talk about during primary care and gynecological visits. During my doctor visits, I am asked about my alcohol use, but I have never had a doctor discuss the links between alcohol use and cancers.

 

Sober Curious: A Night Life Alternative

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 Consuming alcohol has almost become synonymous with going out on the weekend with your friends especially if the pre-determined meeting location is a bar. The situation usually plays out by one friend getting there earlier, and ordering a drink from the bar while they wait for the rest of the group. Then the rest of the friends or group arrives, and you all order another round of drinks while you wait for the food, and then maybe one more round of drinks before you all leave for the night and head your separate ways.

Now, one can say that this may be a scenario that can be quite expensive with the group in the example ordering three round of drinks and according to an article entitled “The Recent Evolution of How we Get Tipsy“, that covered an NPR alcohol report, it actually is! This report found that as production of alcohol in America has become more efficient, alcohol prices have declined 39% from 1982 to 2012. During that same time span, the prices of alcohol at bars and restaurants has increased 79%.Prices of Booze At Home and Away That increase of price is coupled with the fact that bars and restaurants are now starting to focus more on the sale on alcohol rather than the sale of food. This led to Americans in 2012 to spend an estimated 40% of their expenses at bars and restaurants on alcohol, in comparison to just 24% in 1982. 

So with Americans spending a majority of their money while eating out on something that is unhealthy, in bars and restaurants where the alcohol is getting more expensive, what happens if you want to escape this culture for a weekend or two but still want to attend a bar-esque atmosphere with your friends?

Well, that is where the phenomena of “Sober curious” or “Sober Sometimes” comes in. NPR did a piece on this new social club that is mostly made up of women in their 30s, and the NPR piece stated that one of the main reasons behind the women joining the club was due to the fact that they “have demanding jobs and simply do not want to feel foggy or hungover anymore.” 

These social clubs usually have bars dedicated to them where people can gather, eat, listen to music, and socialize all while consuming non-alcoholic beverages. This gives individuals a healthy alternative to going to bars that serve alcohol but still allowing them to enjoy all of the other aspects that comes with night life.

                                                                                                                                                                                         

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2019/06/19/sans-bar-052_custom-47bff05db0ee54d4664b7c832ac9c746fef1f77a-s1600-c85.jpg

Source: Julia Robinson for NPR

But, the question begs itself, how effective could this new initiative be, especially in a climate where drinking and going out is seen as the norm?. Well, the first step would to be establish more bars that are strictly dedicated to serving non-alcoholic beverages to its patrons. But to be competitive, these bars need to still offer the same amenities and activities that bars that serve alcohol do which would be good music, good food, and good service. That accompanied with word of mouth of the atmosphere of the bar being just as fun, then the growth for these types of establishments is endless, and will slowly become culturally accepted. But, for the latter to happen, individuals must be educated on the harms of drinking and how even taking a small break, if you choose not to become completely sober, is still a healthier option, and non-alcoholic bars are the way to go. But, if the value is seen in these sober bars, then potentially investments can be made into these types of establishments that will make them bigger and better than ever, and will make these bars an excellent alternative to individuals that want to go out and socialize with friends but do not want to drink.

 

The Culture of Abstaining From Alcohol

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“Abstinence [from alcohol] was found to be associated with a staggering 45 per cent higher risk of dementia compared to those who consumed between one and 14 unites of alcohol a week.”

 -Sean Morrison, Evening Standard

I know what you’re thinking, who did this science experiment? Well, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris along with scientists from the University College London. They followed 9000 men and women with ages ranging between 45-55 over 23 years and found that 45% of those who did not drink developed dementia. Now, the downfalls of this is that their health history was not really controlled for, it is just that they abstained from drinking during the 23 period time period.

But, for the average Joe to google abstaining from alcohol, and retrieve these articles can be detrimental to the culture of abstaining from alcohol. By the way, this is the first image that comes up when you google “abstaining from alcohol.”

So why exactly is there so much pressure in some societies to consume alcohol? Is it really NEEDED to be social? Are we not FUN enough without it? Are you too RELIGIOUS and need to loosen up a little? I have heard it all. No, I am not too religious but my religion has forced me to do my own research. Why is alcohol so specifically forbidden in the Quran? Reading and learning and realizing that I really do not need it to have fun and I have more effective coping mechanisms, I decided abstaining from alcohol was the right choice for me.

So how do we get others to not only abstain from consuming alcohol but also make that idea culturally accepted? Well here are two ways to start:

  1. No Beer, No Botox, No Problem

Seems simple, educate the masses on what alcohol does to you. But the twist is, get them with what they care about most in today’s society: vanity. Vogue recently published an article on how giving up alcohol can transform your skin. “I always joke with my patients, ‘If you want to get older, go ahead and drink!’” says nutritionist Jairo Rodriquez, who gave the Vogue advice on how no drinking means looking more radiant and youthful. More women are also diving into the “sober curious” waters for vanity reasons and blogger Kate of The Sober School writes that the fewer calories, less bloating, beauty rest, and motivation to gym are all reasons why no drinking is really the right choice. Which leads us to tip number 2 for creating a more culturally accepting environment for abstainers.

 

  1. Success Stories Create Success Stories

Kate, a previous heavy drinker, started her blog page, “The Sober School” as a way to motivate herself to continue on that path as well as build a community for like women to join in and feel welcomed, whether you are new to the abstinence life or been sober all your life. Kate writes “I show them [women] how to have fun, relax and be confident without a glass of wine in their hand… and I can help you too” and suggests that there is no need to label yourself as being in recovery. She offers a 6 week course to women in need of help. This welcoming environment creates a culture of acceptance and hopefully a domino effect too. She has a page dedicated to “graduates” of her program and their testimonies, with women both young and old. And Kate’s page isn’t the only blog page out there. Hip Sobriety, UnPickled, Drunky Drunk Girl, and Sober Senorita are just a few of the FEMALE led blog pages. Some are about the process of sobriety and some about the success of sobriety, but all creating awareness in a positive, more inviting way.  

 

Under the Guise of Self-Care: Alcohol Use & Women

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We’ve hit a revolutionary point in human medicine – we nearly completely acknowledge the existence, pain, and cost of poor mental health. We’ve addressed this medically through prescription drugs and therapy. We’ve even taken a stand culturally and recognize the importance of taking mental health days as you would sick days, and participating in self-care habits that go beyond our physiology and sooth our minds as well. 

This evolution has been overwhelmingly beneficial as individuals from all walks of life feel more able to discuss their mental wellbeing and recognize its importance. Addressing chronic stress and loneliness has undoubtedly extended and saved lives. We’ve moved even further as we not only see the value, but actively encourage acts of self-care that address our physiological and phycological needs. It’s in our TV shows, memes, HR policies, self-help books – we know self-care is important. 

But… Do we know how to give self-care? Do we understand its complexities? Can we differentiate between adaptive and maladaptive behaviors or coping mechanisms? With troubling messages through our cultural media and a growing alcohol use disorder rate amongst women, I believe the answer is “no.” 

Much of the communication directed towards women explains the “steps” she can take to relax and focus on herself. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with these behaviors.  

Having a glass of wine. 

Spending the night in. 

Purchasing gifts for oneself. 

Donning loungewear. 

Declining social invitations. 

Indulging in comfort food.

In moderation, all of these things are okay. In excess, however, or combined, they become problematic. 

Image result for drunk amazon shopping meme

Drinking alone, isolating oneself, bingeing on food or alcohol, making excessive purchases, and not leaving the house are not healthy ways to manage stress or practice self care. They may act as temporary “bandaids” that distract from the challenges around us, but the challenges are never addressed.

It is through reaching out to loved ones, staying active, and eating well that we can begin to overcome our mental and emotional struggles. It’s through seeking professional help and recognizing if or when medication would be a meaningful addition. It’s by addressing the problem, not veiling it, that we practice true self care.  

Alcohol and Women – a Social Issue

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So it has been a week since we started our #GSUwhyshedrinks class and I am already blown away by how deep the subject of women and drinking is in our society. Before starting the class, I did see women drinking as a social issue. However, by the end of the class, I think I may change my viewpoint. That is why they say information is power, right?

One of the topics that really intrigued me is how drinking is on the rise especially for women.  Researchers are calling the rise “a public health crisis” and are concerned at the narrowing of the gender gap in drinking disorders between men and women. This data was very alarming to me. I was not aware statistically at how many women were turning to alcohol to solve their problems. Moreover, we talked about how this rise is being fueled by media and marketing ads targeted at women.  It seems like alcohol companies are taking advantage of this crisis and using it to increase sales. 

I decided after class to look more into how marketing companies were targeting women. I was amazed at how many advertisements played off of the nurturing aspect of women.  I also found hundreds of memes that promoted women having there daily sip of “Mommy Juice”.  Furthermore, there is a huge market for mommy juice merchandise that ranges from $3 – $30 dollars. If I was a stressed-out mother I would surely find solace online from all the mommy juice memes. 

Recently, I came across a blog by a mom who I believe hit the nail on the head. She wrote, “I don’t blame memes for my alcohol addiction, but I do believe they play a part in desensitization. They made me feel like it was normal. They made it much easier to rationalize. I deserved those drinks because I was a mom and, gosh darn it, I work hard to be a good mom. I felt like I was fitting in where I never really felt that way in real life.“According to her, you cannot get away from the “mommy juice” memes. They are on every social media site and as a mom who follows motherhood pages, you will surely be influenced in some way by these wine promoting memes. 

https://themighty.com/2017/11/mommy-juice-memes-alcoholism/

Another thing I noticed, even before starting the class, is how many ads are targeted at young (18-34) single women. Many of these liquor ads glamorize women having a drink with friends out on the town. Like the author of the blog noted, drinking is promoted as a way to fit in with the “cool” people. In fact, drinking is so normalized that if you do not drink, you are seen as weird. 

As someone who does not drink, I can say that when you stop drinking, it does seem like you cannot have as much fun because drinking is so closely tied to the idea of being a young happy millennial. I am excited about this class, because I will be able to dissect some of these ideas around drinking. I am learning that the media plays a huge role in why I used to feel “left out” when I stopped drinking. 

I started to think about many of the shows I watched that have female leads. Most of the characters use alcohol as part of there coping method. In fact, I do not think I have seen an American TV show or movie that did not promote drinking alcohol. Again, drinking alcohol has been normalized in every genre and it almost seems weird if you do not drink. 

In conclusion, alcohol use among women is on the rise. More and more women are turning to alcohol to help decrease stress. As a future dietitian and health professional, I hope to learn about the tools I need to help address this growing problem in women.  I believe this class will provide me with a framework to help solve this developing social issue. 

 

I Need Juice…I Need Mommy Juice!

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Last night, while sipping on my “mommy juice,” I read an article regarding “mommy juice” and the message that it potentially sends to young children when they see their mothers reaching for their glass of “mommy juice.”

Disclaimer: I do not have kids yet, but I do have a new puppy that stresses me out. Therefore, I do understand that sometimes, “mama needs her glass of wine.”

While reading the article, I suddenly remembered a TV show that I previously watched named Being Mary Jane that showed a very successful single woman socially drinking with their friends and drinking home alone around her newborn niece. Suddenly I realized that today’s society is slowly normalizing alcoholism, alcohol culture, and “mommy juice” to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Mary Jane, for example, was a successful woman, but she was lonely, and she desperately wanted a child. Mary Jane’s binge drinking and her multiple glasses of wine were ways for her to cope with the harsh reality of her life, as with “mommy juice.”

Today, “mommy juice” seems to have become a trend. Mothers are often seen with cups and t-shirts that allude to drinking being a way to solve all of their problems when in fact the normalization of drinking in response to things happening in life, such as having children, depression, anxiety, can be unhealthy for them and their children. Studies show that women that drink excessively are more susceptible to liver disease, certain cancers, heart disease, and it can also speed up the aging process— who doesn’t want to look young forever (CDC 2016). Children that often observe their mother drinking excessively often deal with emotional problems such as guilt, anxiety, depression, and they are more likely to begin drinking at an earlier age.
Don’t get me wrong moms, I am “pro-mommy juice,” in moderation of course, but we all should be conscious of the adverse effects that could come with it for ourselves, our children, and our puppies.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-mommy-juice-scares-th_b_5664325

 

Mommy Drinks Because of Me: Memes and Mommy Juice Products

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Have you ever heard of something called a mommy sippy cup or mommy juice? No? Neither did I, until I signed up for a class all about it. After my first day in class, I have seen so many mommy sippy cups and things related to moms drinking. “The tumbler of mommy juice became the signal of the end of a day of parenting—a hard-earned reward, an escape form the difficulty of the day” (Ravishly). Take a look at this cup!

Isn’t it SO cute! Okay okay, but actually though, you might be wondering if that product is real. Check out this link to go buy one for yourself (Just kidding. I don’t endorse that): https://www.etsy.com/market/mommy%27s_sippy_cup

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you continue reading:

  • Have you ever seen your mom, or a mom you know, drink?
  • Does that mom have children?
  • Does that mom have young children?
  • Have you ever been stressed about something, and taken a drink because of it?

If the answers to these questions were yes, you should probably keep reading.

As you know, the internet, texts, fliers, and social media are full of something called memes. According to dictionary.com, a meme is “a humorous image, video, piece of text that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users.” Pay attention to the word in red. Humorous. That’s important. Memes are supposed to be funny. Memes are supposed to be spread from people to people. Platform to platform. But where is the line of something being funny and something being dangerous and wrong? Below I discuss a few memes that have come to my attention.This one is just sad. This meme makes it appear as if mothers only drink because of their children, as if their children cause so much pain and stress in their lives. People who are not mothers view this as funny. They view this as reality. They view this as….well, “if this is true, do I really want to have children?” The next meme (below) shows the same concept. “Make sure you get your mom a bottle of wine for Mother’s Day. After all, you are the reason she drinks.” If I heard someone tell me this, I’d be so offended. Unfortunately, sometimes this is true. People drink to forget. The consequences of memes like this are that some women will believe them, and some mom’s will think it’s okay to drink all the time just to take the edge off of being a mother. Let’s not forget most meme users are younger. Just imagine for a second: all these young girls seeing these memes and wondering if they are true.

 

Please tell me how the below meme is okay. What if it is true? There has to be some truth to this in some cases. Props to stay at home mothers. That is a full time job and some say the hardest job of all. However, if you are a daytime drinking, stay at home mom, looking after a child, isn’t that a contradiction? How can you be looking after a child and also drinking? Not all of your focus will be on that child. According to Women’s Health Magazine, daytime drinking can lead to:

  1. It becoming a habit
  2. Getting dehydrated
  3. Drinking way more than you expect to 

 

And, just imagine if your babysitter did that while watching your child.

 

What my point is…..

These mommy memes are not cool or funny. They shouldn’t exist, and they should not be spreading across the Internet like wildfire. Young girls and boys are on the internet everyday. Their lives revolve around it. They want to share things they think are funny- including these mommy memes. Some consequences of these memes and mommy sippy cup products are that some of these young girls are going to think that it is okay to drink. And, with the increasing amount of women drinking these days, this is even worse. The earlier people are introduced to the concept of drinking, the worse it is.

Lastly, here’s a mother’s point about these memes:

She believes that these mommy memes and quotes are not “message(s) I’m comfortable with my kids seeing as normal or usual. I don’t want my kids to think that I’m counting the minutes until it’s 5pm somewhere” (Ravishly). She believes that alcohol use should not be normalized, and that it harms families and kids who grow up in an environment where it is in use and where they feel unwanted.

Here are the biggest consequences of these memes:

  1. Mom’s start believing them and thinking it is normal to drink everyday
  2. Increasing the likelihood of alcohol dependence
  3. Children thinking they can drink because their mom drinks
  4. Children thinking their parents do not love them

 

Websites used:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/meme

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19934218/dangers-of-day-drinking/

https://ravishly.com/mommy-juice-jokes

Drinking Memes on Social Media

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Social media, a tool that all most everyone uses on some platform to connect with the world as a whole. We use it not only to connect with other people, but to see news, stories, videos, and so many other things. Often when scrolling, looking at people’s stories, or clicking on links, we see something funny, or even inappropriate, and we laugh…sometimes a lot. After that though we almost always share it with someone else, or even repost it, without actually thinking about how what we thought was funny in the moment, can actually do some harm in the long run. One such idea is the use of memes on social media, and granted I will laugh at memes and send them to friends, but that is still not an excuse if said memes are actually doing more harm then good. So are they? Are memes influencing how were perceive certain topics and creating an adverse reaction?

To begin I think it is important that we understand what exactly the topic of interest is. And for the purpose of this post, that is in regards to women and drinking. First, do the memes surrounding this topic tap into the motivation of women to drink? And, do these memes actually have a negative reinforcement and strengthen the desire or even environment around drinking? Personally, I believe that the best way to talk about this is to go directly to the memes and discuss them. Now before I go any further, I want to say that I personally will laugh at memes like this, I do find them funny because some of the circumstances in them are relatable, but I also think that is why they can be dangerous.

If you simply Google “women drinking memes” you will come up with a wide range of memes going from Betty White with a wine glass to Karen Walker (a character from the show Will & Grace) saying that she would “suck the alcohol out of a deodorant stick”. When I scrolled through, I also got a meme about gays wearing floral shirts, but hey I guess even google makes mistakes once in a while. So lets dive right on in! I promise to exclude some of them though, simply because of language and also topics (there was one such meme of jack and coke and how it helped women overcome the fear of certain sexual activities.

I want to start off with the memes below as I think they tie into motivations. Now there are so many more memes out there, but I only want to touch on a few of them for the sake of this post. In these you see women that almost everyone knows (except for the third one, I am not sure who she is). But, these memes touch on reasons why drinking may be a good idea. I especially want to take a moment to talk about the third meme which explains what a mimosa is, “something women in their 20s drink so they can feel better about drinking in the morning.” Granted I like a good mimosa once in awhile, but should they really be explained in a way to make people feel better about drinking?   

Below I am also including more memes that I think impact women drinking. Here you will see memes showing that wine is the classy way to get wasted and how gin & tonic is the cause and cure of all “my” problems. This one I think is incredibly moving as well, due to the idea that drinking is what got her into her problems, but it is also what will get her out. I find that very telling of our culture as that is something we actually do on a regular basis. When we are heartbroken we go out on a bender, or simply drink alone. When we feel depressed, we drink. So often drinking is encouraged as a way to nurse our broken souls, but so often it only makes us feel worse.

Going into the future I cannot say that I will not find memes like this funny, but I encourage you, as I encourage myself not to feed into the idea that drinking is a way to cope with problems we have in our lives. Memes reflect our society, and as such I see a need to work towards helping our society create new ways to promote health and well being.