When does a gathering become a party? For social boomers, eight is enough

When it comes to partying, boomers are doing more with less than their younger party-going peers. At least, that’s one way to interpret the results of a new survey commissioned by cyber-invitation company, Eventbrite.

Conducted by OnePoll, the survey asked people from different generations what they think constituted a “party.”

The answers were all over the place — varying by age, location and interests — but one stark contrast emerged when it came to crowd size.

While respondents from Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X generally require a gathering of at least 10 to qualify as a “party,” boomers seem perfectly content to party with a group of eight. Apparently, when you reach a certain age, that fifth couple no one really likes just isn’t worth inviting anymore.

The survey, which polled 2,000 Americans, looked at different types of social activities, including the number of events (however one might define that) people go to in an average week.

Millennials proved to be the most social, with almost three nighttime outings per week, and Gen Xers were a close second, averaging about 2.75. Boomers proved the least adventurous, with only 1.62 social occasions per week.

And in a possible foreshadowing of things to come, data from the younger side of the survey shows behaviors as they start to develop.

After people turn 30 years old, they report less interest in going to parties simply for the free food and booze.

Instead, they go to share ideas, network or meet someone special. This socializing-for-a-purpose behavior plays out a bit more with a high majority of respondents (73%) choosing to attend events that allow them to explore their communities, such as an after-hours event at a zoo or a neighborhood bar crawl.

Opinions differ on the factors driving the trends. Older boomers could be too tired or ill to go out or have simply lost interest.

Or maybe the older cohort simply values quality over quantity. After all, once you’ve made the most of your community and social circle, you could be content to slow down and enjoy both.