Wild nights on the town can be a lot of fun, but new research suggests a lot of us are now in our homebody era. According to a new survey, Americans are twice as likely to want to stay in and hang out with friends than go out.
The poll of 2-thousand U.S. adults finds that 72% prefer staying home and having friends over, while only 28% would rather have a night out. For half (49%) of respondents, this shift in the ideal plans has only happened in the last few years.
- These days, people say they like hanging at home because it’s a more comfortable environment (65%), it helps them save money (53%), it’s easier to hear each other (47%), and they don’t have to deal with crowds (47%).
- Staying in also gives people more control over ambiance, food, drinks and entertainment (42%), plus, no one has to get dressed up (24%).
- Favorite occasions for a night in are birthday celebrations (49%), dinner parties (44%), movie nights (37%), game nights (35%) and TV-watch parties (29%).
- No matter what the reason for the get-together, three-quarters (74%) of respondents agree they can have deeper, more meaningful conversations during a night in.
- The sweet spot for these at-home hangs is a little less than three and a half hours (three hours and 24 minutes).
- But having people over can be stressful, too and cleaning tops the list of stressors for hosts.
- They spend anywhere from 10 minutes to over two hours getting their house ready for guests.
- Hosts also get stressed about cooking, making guests comfortable, feeling pressure to make everything perfect, and running out of food or drinks.
The essentials for a great night in:
- Good food and drinks (72%)
- Having the right people present (61%)
- Comfy seating (52%)
- A tidy and welcoming space (46%)
- Great music or entertainment (38%)
- Pleasant scent / fragrance (24%)
- Cozy lighting (22%)
Source: Talker