How long has it been since you've been able to meet up with your group of friends? When was the last time you had a get-together? Have you ever made excuses for not meeting up with your group of friends? Are you one of those who prefer to stay at home out of laziness?
These are some of the questions that 1,000 young Spaniards have faced in the recent study* "Youth gatherings are a thing of the past"which analyses the evolution of young people's social behaviour. atbetween 25 and 35 years old and the frequency with which they now meet up with their old group of friendsThe Onion Inside, carried out by the consultancy firm The Onion Inside for the food company Fripozo.
The 95% of young Andalusians say that they now hang out less with their group of friends, This means a drastic decrease in an activity that has been very present in them until now. What seemed easy is now becoming more complicated: the lack of time (a 50%) and the Difficulty in matching all together (75%) are the two main reasons that are putting an end to the meetings.. These reasons are a reflection of a time of vital change in which there are other priorities that make it impossible to continue with the routines of the past.
"The aim of this study is to put the spotlight on an issue that affects young people and of which we are not aware. The current context in which we live makes us change our routines regarding social relationships and we have been very surprised to see the forcefulness with which young people between 25 and 35 years old affirm that although they would like to be able to see more of their group of friends, for different reasons, they do not do so". says Adolfo Sujatovich, Marketing Director Fripozo.
For some years now, we have been seeing this alarming change in social trends among the young people of the Zeta and Millennials generations; in fact Andalusia is the second Autonomous Community that thinks that large get-togethers with friends are in danger of extinction, with 86%.The second highest percentage of the population was in Catalonia (91%). This result does not show differences by age and gender, which shows that a global and generalised trend that reaffirms its disappearance. Additionally, this study shows how, despite being a technological generation and the importance of social networks, only 23% of Andalusians opt for virtual meetings.as opposed to face-to-face ones. However, when it comes to the moment of truth, 59% says he prefers to stay at home watching TV series.
The art of making excuses
Something that has developed this generation of young people atbetween 25 and 35 years old is the "art" of making excuses not to meet up with your group of friends. The 58% of Andalusians confess to having made up any excuse they can find. when it comes to meeting up with their group of friends. Continuing in this vein, "I don't feel well, I'm sick"is the queen of excuses, followed by "I have a lot of work"Both are the most common excuses used by young Spaniards for not meeting up with their group of friends. Within this trend we find curious and creative excuses such as "...".it's my dog's birthday", "I have to water the plants" "my finger hurts"or use the death of a family member who has already died several times.
The emotional impact of "hanging out" with a group of friends
Although this study has identified lack of time and the frequency of more individual plans at home as the main reasons for this decline in the number of get-togethers, the study has also found that the main reasons for this decline in the number of get-togethers are the lack of time and the frequency of more individual plans at home, 8 out of 10 young Spaniards are aware that meeting up with a group of friends has a positive impact on their emotional well-being. In Andalusia, this trend stands out with a percentage of 98%.
"Despite the fact that get-togethers are becoming less and less frequent, it is a fact that the vast majority say they would like to have more of them. Specifically, 98% of Spaniards surveyed agree that 'get-togethers' are necessary for emotional well-being, so that they feel happier and recharge their batteries. Despite the active pace that young people between 25 and 35 maintain, seeing their group of friends in person is an escape from their daily routine and is something they always need to have, even if years go by," he says. Olga Díez, psychologist and CEO of The Onion InsideThe study was carried out by the study's head.
The truth is that emotional care is a must for this generation. "It is important to generate occasions that lead to a meeting point with the group of friends, as it has been proven that this situation greatly improves people's emotional wellbeing. In fact, 95% of young Spaniards miss these get-togethers.
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