Millennials haven't killed pubs – pubs just haven't kept up

From mayonnaise and diamonds to cinemas and golf, it seems no industry is safe from being killed off by millennials. Now pubs look to be suffering the same fate, closing at an alarming rate with net numbers down by almost 700 this year alone – and piling yet more misery on the Great British high street.

The most obvious reason behind the sharp decline in pub numbers seems to be the cost of going out. The average pint in London costs upwards of £5, while the national average of £3.60 is 60p more than most people think is reasonable. These prices have perhaps hit students and young people hardest, with the increased costs associated with going to university and living away from home in rented accommodation often not leaving much in the way of disposable income. The old traditions of going to the pub to watch football (with this summer’s World Cup perhaps proving the exception) have been for many replaced by staying in and streaming because the idea of spending £4 on a pint when you can buy a four-pack for the same amount from your local corner shop just doesn’t make sense.

Pre-drinks are as much a part of a night out as going to a club – usually at someone’s house. The idea of drinking out, let alone going on a pub crawl, anywhere that’s not a student bar seems prohibitively expensive.

And it’s not just financial reasons that are putting people off, the reality is that fewer young people drink, with research showing that 25% of people aged 16-24 described themselves as “non-drinkers” while between 2005 and 2015, the percentage drinking above the recommended limits had dropped by 15%. Often this has very little to do with cost, with most of my friends who don’t drink choosing to do so for their physical and mental wellbeing. With the increase in students seeking mental health support across the UK, and a clear link to alcohol being a contributing factor to the worsening of mental health, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the number of drinkers on campuses is going down. Moreover, for those with conditions such as anxiety, staying in provides the only opportunity to socialise, something that an increasingly aware student population are starting to recognise.

In my hometown of Leicester, there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of dessert parlours and shisha bars aimed primarily at the city’s young Asian population for whom going to the pub can often be a tricky experience for social or religious reasons. Indeed, with 68% of young people from ethnic minorities describing themselves as non-drinkers, the idea of going somewhere where drinking isn’t the main objective can be quite a refreshing change – and much more inclusive for a mixed bunch of friends.

This can mean more people staying in and socialising rather than going out for a pint. The attraction of traditional pub games like pool or darts is diminished by the knowledge that I could be playing Red Dead Redemption or Fifa instead. Even for those who do venture out, “experiences” such as Secret Cinema or Lates at museums offer a more interesting and engaging alternative to a basic pub trip. While the diversification of restaurants, cafes, and bars even in smaller cities and towns means the pub isn’t the only place for people to go and socialise after work.

And that perhaps shows the way to build a sustainable high street for the future – new and different types of locations need to open up. The young can bring their creativity to bear.Pubs on high streets across the country seem to be mostly owned and run by the same four or five companies, with little in the way of individuality – the future could offer something more diverse and interesting.

If millennials are indeed to be blamed for the death of pubs, it’s because – like all other industries that came before it – they haven’t done enough to adapt to thetastes of a younger generation. The death of video rental was accompanied, and accelerated, by the massive growth in streaming services. Will the death of pubs and the traditional high street lead to something equally new and exciting taking its place?

• Devarshi Lodhia is a history student at the University of Cambridge and a freelance journalist