Healthy to 100
January 19, 2026| Edition 21
Social connection is a lot like the weather - we all talk about it, but no one does anything about it. This newsletter is here to change that: to raise awareness about the importance of connection and create a space for real conversation.
Ask Ken
I want to socialize more, but I am sober. How do I convince my friends to do something fun that does not involve alcohol?
Hi Lena,
It may be a bit of an uphill battle with your friends. We are taught from an early age to think of alcohol as the grease of social connection. Endless beer commercials and tv shows such as Cheers, Mad Men, and Always Sunny in Philadelphia associate alcohol with social success - and studies have shown that people on tv shows consume a much higher percentage of alcoholic beverages than in real life. New Year’s Eve virtually promises that heavy consumption of booze will not only lead to the most fun night possible, but also get your year off to a rousing (if perhaps slightly woozy) start.
The good news is that drinking is on the decline overall. Gallup reported last summer that almost half of Americans say that they are “total abstainers” from alcohol, a figure that has grown from just 29% in 1978. Younger adults under the age of 35 are the least likely to drink now, and a majority of Americans now believe that even moderate drinking is bad for your health, a sharp reversal of public opinion from just a couple years ago. All that is telling me that despite the commercial pressures from mass media, it is your friends who are increasingly out of step, not you.
But they are still your friends, so let’s take control of the situation:
Be the organizer and lead with plans that aren’t alcohol centered. Host a game night (no one can drink and successfully play Boggle at the same time), suggest miniature golfing, head to the bowling alley or to a museum. Don’t fall into the trap that associates going out to a bar or club as the “right way” to have fun. Social connection comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Get outside more, especially for activities that are earlier in the day. Recruit your friends for a walk, picnic, or a bike ride. See who responds to these activities and who doesn’t. It may tell you something about which friends are right for the long haul.
Some non-drinkers are uncomfortable around any drinking at all, but many are not. If you can, compromise a bit and lean into activities that are not about drinking, but might accommodate the desire of others to consume some alcohol. Dinners, concerts, and BBQs all provide an opportunity for you to be sober and for others to drink without making drinking the centerpiece of the evening. I can tell you that I rarely drink, but Mrs. Ask Ken has been known to enjoy a drink or two. We’ve been married since the Cretaceous Period, so it seems to have worked out well enough as an arrangement for the two of us – so perhaps it can work for you as well.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
Ken
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This Week in Social Connection
Next, It's Team Boggle.
Such is the weight of social convention that I am slightly hesitant to mention that our New Year’s Eves plans involved games night rather than some alcohol-fused soiree. But it turns out that we are on the cutting edge of a social wave. The global board game market is booming, expected to grow by almost 9% a year to $25 billion by 2030. Analysts attribute the growth to a desire for more in-person activity and the growing need to take a break from digital devices.
It's part of a larger interest with in-person games of all types – and from all ages. Younger adults are discovering games like Mahjong and bridge, activities more typically associated with older adults and even by-gone eras. The appeal goes beyond nostalgia. Games like Mahjong are cognitively demanding, requiring memory, attention, and quick decision-making. Studies have linked regular play with better cognitive performance and slower cognitive decline, but just as important, players say games help them feel socially connected.
Bridge, both a challenging mental game and an interactive one as well, has gained popularity in recent years. Bridge has even been recognized by the International Olympic Committee and as a result, competitions follow the rules of the World AntiDoping Agency. Fortunately, neither sherry nor tea are tested by WADA.
The game is increasingly appealing to young adults who spend most of their leisure time on screens - yet still report feeling isolated. Bridge flips the script, demanding real partnership, trust, and communication. And Lena, no alcohol required.
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And If Bridge is Not For You, Let's Take It Down to the Boggle Cafe.
Analysts also attribute the growth of the games market to the growth of games cafés, though it is a little hard to know which is the chicken and which is the egg. Game cafés are expected to grow at a rate of more than 10% between now and 2030.
Games cafes reflect the rise in demand for experiential – and human – entertainment. For those who have not been to a games café, the concept is rather self-explanatory, as is the value: an opportunity to hang out with friends, family, and even strangers over a board game, and enjoy a snack and a drink – which are, Lena, mostly but not always nonalcoholic. The only downside is that you might have to witness my “I beat you at Boggle” celebratory dance, or the more common “I would have beaten you at Boggle, but I didn’t know that ogive was a real word” protest dance. Either way, it’s a fun time for everyone.
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