The NYT is mostly out of touch, as usual. A boomer rag-publication of the highest order, the article shows a complete misunderstanding of why house parties aren't a thing anymore by confusing some recent fads with socioeconomic problems. House parties aren't in decline because people want fancy liquor or fancy food items that hosts don't think they're competent to cook. The ability to send a text message to cancel an appointment does not cause people to not attend house parties. In small part, being able to stay home with Netflix makes it easier to tolerate being alone, but hardly overrules the desire for social interaction.<p>The real reasons, some of which the NYT glazed over vapidly:<p>1. Money. Specifically, not enough money as a result of bad economic conditions dominating the lifestyle of Millenials, the most likely partyhosters and partygoers. It's expensive to buy booze and chips/food for more than a couple people, and a dictum to BYOB guarantees a lot of leeches and a shortage. It's pretty passe to charge for entry to your house party as soon as you're out of college, so that's out. Millenials don't have enough cash to be hosting these parties all the time, but probably have enough money to attend them frequently, if it weren't for a lack of hosts. The article calls this casual poverty "downsizing", which offends me riotously-- millenials aren't choosing to downsize, they're being downsized by extreme income inequality and debt slavery typical in late
capitalism.<p>2. Space. Millenials live in apartments, in part because they are in desirable areas, but also in part because they can't afford to buy homes. Apartments are too small to have good house parties in, so, as the article describes, it's "having a few people over" (max 6) at once. I don't know anyone with a house or a large apartment here in Boston. Rents are high, and rising. The housing market is still off-limits, so people must rent. The lack of good private space is partially a symptom of a shit economy.<p>3. The cops. Remember in high school when 5-6 of your friends were over quietly watching a movie and the police knocked on the door, incorrectly thinking that there was underaged drinking going on? This happened in my high school suburban community when things were quiet. The fact is, a good party can get loud, and the cops will be prowling around looking to charge someone. A party isn't much fun if you are forced to be more inhibited than usual the entire time, anyway. The neighbors being pissed off will probably be the impetus for the cops to show up, but let's face it, the mere possibility is going to keep party populations lower.<p>4. Living at home with your parents. This is really just another subset of the money problems with suffocate millenials. You can't host a house party in your parents' house once you've graduated from college. It might also be tougher to attend a party if your parents live far away and the only viable transportation is car. This malaise of living at home is prevalent at about 10% of millenials.