The Sober Curious Movement started with a book, and since then it has exploded in popularity through social media. Sober influencers have joined the movement to promote a healthier lifestyle to improve their followers’ mental health. But is ‘Sober Curious’ a breakthrough moment in social media aimed at promoting genuine change, or are we looking at another trendy fad that will eventually wane?
Understanding the Sober Curious Movement
The rise of Sober Curiosity grew from Ruby Warrington’s 2018 book, Sober Curious. This instantly raised awareness about the health benefits of cutting down on alcohol. The movement has since attracted many social media users who see cutting down on alcohol as more realistic than never drinking again. Its founders hope that persuading young people to try out sobriety will help them realise that cutting down on alcohol can have a positive effect on their lives.
Social media trends, such as ‘Dry January’ and ‘Quit Lit’ are helping promote the message of Sober Curious as people continue to explore changing their lifestyle. More recently, popular young influencers have helped the movement reach a younger audience by spreading information about the impact of sober curiosity. In many ways, the movement has helped shut down the negative stereotyping of sobriety. Traditionally, getting sober has been associated with alcoholics and people who are ‘boring.’ Influencers are helping to change that narrative by exploring the benefits of being sober in social situations as something exciting and trendy instead of a ‘killjoy.’
The Influence of Sober Influencers
There are two sides to the Sober Curious Movement. In many ways, influencers have become role models for promoting the Sober Curious movement, by promoting healthy habits to better young people’s health.
According to a 2021 study by Alex M. Russell, it has had a positive impact on survivors of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), with the rise in sober influencers inspiring them to continue their recovery. Social media encourages sober people to create communities that help others fight against AUD. Posts like ‘Days Sober,’ show that it is possible to overcome addiction.
Some influencers have joined the movement as a personal choice, stressing the non-judgemental aspect of this lifestyle. Olly Bowman, a 22-year-old content creator, promotes sobriety through his TikTok videos that say, ‘People respect you more for being yourself’ and ‘Sobriety shouldn’t affect spending time with friends, … if it does, change your friends.’ Similarly, Kate Elisabeth, a 24-year-old internet celebrity, uses TikTok to document her Sober Curious journey. She explains that people called her ‘boring’ but reveals that the physical and mental health benefits of cutting down on alcohol, such as feeling ‘leaner’ and less ‘numb’ and ‘anxious,’ have helped her ignore criticism.
There is a consensus among young people that influencers raise awareness about sobriety but that this has a limited impact on their long-term drinking habits, especially quitting alcohol entirely. One 20-year-old student argues that they promote an ‘unachievable lifestyle.’ There is some truth to this. Research into the drinking behaviours of 18-24-year-olds shows that young adults from deprived backgrounds are more likely to develop alcohol dependence.
Taking the above into account, an argument can be made that Sober Curious influencers glamourise becoming sober while ignoring the fact that for many young adults, sobriety is a luxury. Still, we shouldn’t dismiss the movement entirely. Studies from the Netherlands explain that sober influencers have prompted young people to at least consider moderate drinking, which is better than nothing.
Will Sober Curious Last?
Drinkaware’s report from 2023 reveals that the number of young adults who abstain from drinking has jumped from 14 per cent in 2017 to 21 per cent in 2023. While the downward trend in people’s alcohol intake could be influenced by other factors, including the rising popularity of vaping, fewer nights out during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and the cost-of-living crisis, it also suggests that sober curiosity has made some people think twice about indulging in alcohol.
But being sober curious is not enough to make not drinking into a lifestyle habit. And like many social media trends, the Sober Curious movement is vulnerable to viewer fatigue and general mistrust of social media advice. One 20-year-old explains that ‘social media promotes unhealthy habits (particularly disordered eating) by passing them off as healthy.’ Another 20-year-old points out that the movement’s impact on young people’s mental health is limited and ‘depends on what your algorithm decides,’ making the potential advantages a bit of a lottery
The algorithm, which has been reported to target alcohol-related posts to AUD survivors, is an obstacle to the Sober Curious mission. If it is to survive beyond a trend status, it must figure out a way to override alcohol-promoting content and keep its adherents interested. Maintaining your viewers remains one of the hardest things on social media. Trends come and go. Things get stale. People become bored or fed up and unsubscribe. Longevity can become elusive where social media is concerned.
Even if the Sober Curious Movement becomes nothing more than a passing trend, we should be grateful for the positives it has given. Educating people about healthier lifestyle choices shows the enormous potential of social media to reach young adults and help them become more informed.
DISCLAIMER: The articles on our website are not endorsed by, or the opinions of Shout Out UK (SOUK), but exclusively the views of the author.
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