Nie piją, nie palą szlugów, nie b*ykają - co kręci pokolenie Z?

Overview

The video explores what “turns on” Generation Z in Poland and argues that, although young people drink alcohol and smoke less and have sex less than older generations, they do not avoid coping mechanisms entirely. Instead, Generation Z adapts the need to escape stress and pressure by shifting from traditional weekend partying to other stimulation—often socially mediated, digital, and more isolating.

Alcohol: less drinking, but not zero

• The host points to declining alcohol consumption in Poland, including a drop to 8.7 liters of pure alcohol per person in 2024.
• Young people (18–24) are described as having especially large shares of non-drinkers—for example, ~39% not drinking, based on hospitality-sector data.
• The shift affects nightlife businesses:
  • Beer sales reportedly fall significantly.
  • Non-alcoholic beer sales rise—suggesting substitution rather than total abstinence.
• Despite this, the video emphasizes that most young adults still drink at least occasionally:
  • about 80% of 18–25-year-olds drink sometimes.
• Drinking is framed as less about weekend relaxation and more about specific events (birthdays, promotions, life successes).
• The host links this to a broader global trend, citing polling (e.g., Gallup) that suggests Gen Z/Millennials drink less than older groups, alongside rising social awareness of alcohol’s harms.

Smoking and nicotine: form changes, addiction remains

• Student smoking is described as declining sharply:
  • regular smoking drops to 6% in 2025 from 20% in 2021.
• However, nicotine use is said to shift toward electronic cigarettes, meaning the addictive substance persists even as traditional tobacco smoking falls.

Sex and relationships: less activity, different ways of meeting

• The video cites the CEBOS study:
  • 33% of people aged 18–24 report being sexually inactive.
• It also includes a sexologist’s view that social/dating patterns have changed:
  • young people live together less,
  • have fewer children,
  • form relationships less often.
• The video critiques simplistic explanations, but one contributing factor mentioned is reduced party-based opportunities—overlapping with reduced alcohol use.
• The host argues correlation is not causation:
  • lower alcohol does not directly explain demographic decline.
• Instead, the key mechanism offered is that meeting partners has moved to dating apps:
  • 70% of respondents use dating apps,
  • but only ~9% of long-term couples met through apps.
• Overall message: Generation Z still seeks closeness and acceptance, but partner-finding is harder and more mediated.

Work pressure, anxiety, and burnout as background drivers

A major theme is that behavior changes reflect responses to modern stressors:

• The host describes a precarious labor market, including:
  • AI replacing junior roles,
  • relocations of companies to cheaper countries,
  • weak job security.
• Survey results cited include:
  • 57% reporting emotional overload,
  • 46% reporting burnout (often after only a few years),
  • anxiety symptoms among 18–29 rising from 8% (2019) to 22% (2023).
• The video depicts a “vicious circle”:
  • stress reduces energy for social life,
  • increasing isolation and pessimism further.

Substitutions for alcohol: drugs, screens, and “escaping”

The core thesis is that removing one coping method does not remove the need for escape—so other outlets fill the gap:

• Cannabis and other drugs
  • Alcohol is replaced by other stimulants, explicitly including cannabis.
  • Polish data from a prevention center is cited:
    • increase from 7.8% in 2018 to 10.3% in the last 12 months among 15–34.
  • A referenced UK study is mentioned suggesting marijuana use rises strongly among those born 2000–2002, with increases also in harder substances.
• Digital escape
  • 93% of respondents under 24 say games/smartphones take up their free time.
  • Mobile games are portrayed as especially addictive due to “game loops,” FOMO, and monetization.
  • Social media “doomscrolling” is framed as a mental-content trap:
    • prolonged time on TikTok/YouTube,
    • algorithmic consumption that leaves people less motivated afterward.
• Important nuance
  • The host stresses that smartphones and games are not inherently bad.
  • The main issue is loss of control and excessive time consumption.

A more nuanced conclusion: coping exists, but so does adaptation

The video concludes that Generation Z is not simply “worse” or purely escapist:

• It acknowledges real problems (drugs, screens, loneliness).
• It also claims Gen Z is trying to:
  • make work more humane,
  • set clearer boundaries between work and private life,
  • seek side income and psychological support.
• The “desired” life, in the host’s view, is calmer and more balanced:
  • less intoxication,
  • fewer hangovers,
  • while still meeting the need to escape pressure.
• However, this escape often happens in private (home, room, screen), which can increase loneliness.
  • The host suggests shared passions and real-life connection as a remedy.

Presenters / contributors (as named in the subtitles)

• Robert Rutkowski
• Professor Zbigniew Izdebski (Polish sexologist)
• Sławomir Mentzen (mentioned as a politician)
• CEBOS (research organization mentioned)
• Gallup polls (referenced)
• UCL (University College London; referenced)
• UCL study (referenced via a British study)
• National Center for Addiction Prevention (Poland; referenced)
• Social Media 2026 report (referenced)