College Drinking Culture

Earlier this week we watched a documentary called Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies, and Alcohol about college drinking culture, how it relates to sex, and how it is influenced by the media. Before watching, I assumed that I would enjoy the film but not learn anything, since alcohol abuse prevention education is shoved down our throats practically at every turn here at Michigan. However, I was really caught off guard by how much the film affected me. There were two things that really struck me when watching. First, the film looks a little dated, which is something I noticed right away, and so assumed would prevent me from relating to the college students who were interviewed for the documentary. I was very surprised to find myself agreeing with their points and empathizing with their experiences within the college drinking/hookup culture- how they bought into it because drinking is simply expected, that it can be really messy, that they've made sexual choices they wouldn't when sober. Second, I realized that I had honestly never considered the role that media plays in shaping both gender roles and expectations for drinking. Again, however, I also realized that from my own experience, this held very true.

I didn't really drink in high school. I was a classic "good girl"- straight A's in AP classes, four-year varsity athlete, involved in volunteering, tennis coach, etc. Drinking didn't really appeal to me because I thought That's what college is for and Once I get to a good college I can let loose and do whatever I want. And that's what I did- finding myself for the first time in a situation where I wasn't being praised for various accomplishments, being an honors student, and no longer being a leader of a sports team, I thought, Why not, and totally bought into the college binge-drinking culture. I have always thought of my experience as a natural progression of growing up, but after viewing the documentary, I began to think Why? Why did I consider drinking to be something I would absolutely do in college while I was in high school? Why did I never question anything about binge-drinking when I did get to college? Why does no generation learn from the previous one on this topic? While these questions were running through my mind, I reflected on the media I have consumed in high school in college that depicts people from this age group. I watched Gossip Girl religiously, and devoured the books. I frequently enjoyed movies like The House Bunny, Sydney White, American Pie, Mean Girls, and the like. All of these teen movies and shows and books feature drinking as a regular part of the character's lives. If they aren't drinking in high school (a la Mean Girls) you can bet they are in college (Sydney White). While some show negative consequences from drinking, such as Cady throwing up in Mean Girls and making a fool of herself, drinking is usually a very common, nonchalant, sexual un-inhibitor that allows kids to let loose and have fun. Promised by Anna Faris and Amanda Bynes, I knew this magical elixir would be waiting for me in college, so I didn't feel any FOMO in high school when my friends  would drink. I also assumed that joining a sorority and going out every weekend would give me the ultimate college experience. (Sidenote: I did both of those things, and while I would recommend being social, I consider neither a highlight of my time at Michigan.) I wish I had been more aware of the fact that I was being cultivated to behave in a certain way when I got to college, and that this is completely unnecessary. I have loved every minute of my time in college, but there is simply no reason to feel any pressure to act in a certain way just because it is so normalized in our culture.