Incredibly, a new study conducted
by British restaurant chain Prezzo found that an overwhelming majority of
adults aged 18 to 24 suffer from “menu anxiety” when eating in a public
restaurant. When researchers asked more than 2,000 Gen Zers how relaxed they
felt while eating out, approximately 86% admitted they have suffered from menu
anxiety. Worse, 34% of these young adults said they become so tense and
angst-ridden that they ask other people at the table to speak to waiters on
their behalf. And worse yet, fully 40% of Gen Z eaters surveyed report getting
so worked up that they won’t go out to dinner if they can’t check the
restaurant’s menu first.
The
distressed diners were made so by a number of factors, among them the
increasingly high cost of a meal out, a concern that they will not be able to
find something they like on the menu, and the fear of regretting what they
ordered (FORWTO?).
You’ve
gotta be kidding me! Okay, the concern over high prices is understandable in
some situations, but the other fears are preposterous—and both terrifying and
sad. If the young ones are consumed with fear that they won’t find a menu item
that thrills them, or are frozen by the apprehension that they may realize they
made the “wrong” choice after the fact, Britain and the West have no future. If
a society becomes that indecisive, timid, and soft, it is drawing its last
collective breaths. “Oh, sh*t, I really should have ordered the California
Burger, not the Juicy Lucy! What am I to do now?!”
How the
hell will these folks fare when it comes to buying a car or a house? I know, if
current trends continue, many probably won’t. (Another problem?) What about
when it comes time to vote? Oddly enough, if recent statistics are any guide, they
don’t seem to have any trouble selecting Democrats from the voting ballot. (Also
a problem.) I wish they did.
Perhaps
restaurants, whatever their genre’, should offer a “Gen Z” menu as well as a
kids’ menu. Suggestion: limit the choices! Perhaps to: 1) PB&J 2) Mac & Cheese 3) Warm Milk
& Cookies.
On second thought,
maybe just the kids’ menu would suffice.
No comments:
Post a Comment