I think theres slightly less young people joining but other than competition from farcebook etc all that has happened is that we progressive minded folk “got what we wished for”.
Youths today, especially teens to early 20s by and large have modern, tolerant and liberal minded parents who are less judgemental
There is also way more accurate info about drugs and there are also many changes in secondary/further and higher education so its genuinely more interesting and engaging than 20-30 years ago (what the right wing call “dumbing down”).
Many of them genuinely want to do well in life and not take excessive risks and genuinely don’t want to risk the sacrifices their parents have made for them such as putting them through uni, subsidising getting a driving license/car etc.
They might party from age 16-21 but after that grow up and settle down. In my town the most nightlife you get is real ale pubs where teenage bands are playing and the folk sat on the barstools drinking real ale are their mums and dads! Also I was drinking last festive season with friends down the road but half were in bed by 01:00 (especially the youths) – some wanted to get up for work and another had a animal rights action to go to… they had a limited supply of booze and no drugs (one asked me if I could get any weed but my sources have either left UK or gone mad/been nicked 😥 If I had even suggested consuming chemicals they would have been quite horrified TBH..) they’d rather do new age cleansing ceremonies and sound gongs etc (one in Stow tomorrow, was even thinking of going there myself but wouldnt be able to take the ceremonies seriously, thats why I was never much good as a Catholic :laugh_at:
They are all cool, genuinely positive decent people though but times has changed. I think its for the better even if it means folk aren’t as hedonistic..
Still unsure though why with a entire uni down the road with specialist arts course there isn’t as much of a youth music /arts scene, not even guitar based stuiff..
