Beyond the dance floor: Why many young adults prefer low-key nights
While the hotspots themselves remain largely the same post-pandemic, many young adults feel their money is better spent elsewhere—rather than on overpriced cocktails and watered-down beer.
SOUNDER RAJEN24 Feb 2025 04:30pm
Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Canva
Instead, they prefer spending their evenings online, at cafés, or at food trucks with friends.
So what changed? While the hotspots themselves remain largely the same post-pandemic, many young adults feel their money is better spent elsewhere—rather than on overpriced cocktails and watered-down beer.
DIFFERENT UPBRINGINGS, DIFFERENT PREFERENCES
Daniel Lim Li Shan, a 25-year-old customer service executive attributed his disinterest in traditional nightlife to a lack of exposure.
Daniel grew up in Medan, a small-town environment where shops closed by 10pm.
Like most who grew up there, he spent evenings at home with family rather than going out.
For him, the closest thing to “nightlife” is grabbing a cup of coffee with friends at a nearby café before dinner.
While Daniel is financially stable, he said bars and clubs are a waste of money due to their high prices.
“In fact, most of my friends aren’t fans of the nightlife scene either,” he said.
“Based on what my friends who do go out at night tell me, you’re staying out when most people are asleep and spending money like there’s no tomorrow.”
A Singaporean online portal recently reported that many young Singaporeans consider traditional nightlife a waste of time and money.
SEEKING NEW SOCIAL SPACES
Haziq Hafizuddin Mohd Mazlan, a 24-year-old barista, said he prefers open-air spaces over crowded clubs.
He enjoys food-hunting with friends in areas like Ampang Park and KLCC, where food trucks are abundant.
For Haziq, the biggest drawback of bars and clubs is the noise and crowds.
He avoids malls for the same reason and prefers nighttime walks when the weather is cooler.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline, 26, who goes by Jack, prefers staying in and playing online games with friends.
The retail store assistant believes socialising doesn’t always have to involve spending money, as there are many ways to catch up with friends in today’s hyperconnected age.
Rather than meeting at cafés, she hops on Discord and plays League of Legends and other online games with her friends.
“I’d rather spend on making memories and exploring new places than on trivial café visits,” she said.
NIGHTLIFE COMES AT A COST
For 27-year-old Arvind Krishna Kumar, better known as Ross, nightlife has its place, but it comes with risks.
As a freelance digital video editor and videographer, he said that while clubs and bars are great for unwinding with friends, they also attract unwanted incidents like pickpocketing, cheating, and drink-driving.
As a result, Ross prefers chatting with friends at a mamak, playing snooker or watching movies at home.
He said he values social interaction but prefers a setting where everyone feels safe and unpressured.
GROWING OUT OF CLUBBING CULTURE
Cherry Laelah, 25, an Indonesian influencer known as Kirara, believes that nightlife tends to lose its appeal over time.
She said she was introduced to the clubbing scene at a young age by a relative and quickly grew bored of it, much earlier than most.
According to her, many young people initially find clubbing exciting but gradually outgrow it.
“For most Indonesians, nightlife is purely for enjoyment, while for others, it’s about showing off wealth,” she said.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not the best lifestyle either.
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