VRChat's MAJOR drinking problem.

VRChat is amazing, but it has a problem: drinking. In this video, I evaluate in-depth how easy it is to fall into the slippery slope of excessive alcohol consumption through the comfort of a VR headset at home. I also interviewed a VRChat user who almost died from their habits. (Please note that I LOVE drinking in VR- I think it’s awesome. But I wanted to take an in-depth look at the differences between it and IRL drinking)
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Check out the replies on this tweet for more accounts of VR drinking:
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=TIMESTAMPS=
0:00 - Overview of VR Drinking
2:04 - IRL vs VR
2:56 - Lack of Limits.
4:27 - Culture Pressure
5:30 - Important Disclaimer
5:53 - Clarity’s Almost Death
6:47 - Final Thoughts
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[@rikoea6530]

If your friends ever pressure you to drink on VR chat, drink water. And when they notice that you're not drunk, tell them someone has to be the designated driver.

[@ClokworkGremlin]

One advantage of social VR that you also don't have in IRL hangouts is, if the party's getting bad, it's much easier to just go somewhere else. No taxi fare, no fear that you're stranding someone without a ride, just pull up a new world (or a new game!) and away you go.

[@ExiledDragoon]

Did you do this and did it work?

[@rikoea6530]

@@ExiledDragoon I don't drink alcohol and never ended up in this situation but it's worth a shot

[@ExiledDragoon]

@@rikoea6530 I request an update if/when you give this a shot.

[@rikoea6530]

@@ExiledDragoon I don't do parties on VR Chat but feel free to give me an update as soon you try it. It sounds like you've been in this type of situation before and need the advice.

[@ItsCreepP]

As someone Who was genuinely shamed for not drinking, even though after explaining I was an extreme alcoholic back in 2018, and then coming into the scene in 2020, this is some thing that I’ve tried to speak about over and over, and only way to be ridiculed about. So it’s nice to see that someone with a platform like yours is saying some thing about it.

[@LhunVideo]

Woop! Important things, having lovely people like this to talk about it out loud. No shame to people who drink, or those or don't, those who can or can't or shouldn't. (like me! Meds don't mix much!). We should normalize making sure people are drinking safely for all the reasons stated here, and the many other reasons that having a healthy relationship with substances is all about.

[@Lilithe]

Creep-P you are 💯 in the right here and people who would try to pressure you further are... that's so awful. You're such a cool bean. Any time you wanna hang out alcohol free and just vibe it's all good ^-^

[@leonoliveira8652]

I'll never get people that do that, seriously. Remember to tell them to "Leave me alone with my two-feet-wide pizza and go enjoy your bitter beverage"

[@groupiedoupie4355]

I'm sorry you experienced that 😔.

[@Justfillintheblank]

You were shamed...for not drinking? Need I say...find new friends??

[@amaikarai5007]

I've seen this issue first hand. I have a few friends on VRChat who are genuine alcoholics who I've since stopped drinking with, because I don't want to encourage their addiction. I do looove drinking with friends on the weekend though. As a woman, I don't have to worry about getting harassed at an irl bar. I can drink in the safety of my own bedroom, surrounded by my VR friends in a private instance of a virtual bar. There's something incredibly appealing about that. VRChat makes drinking with friends more convenient, which can either be a blessing or a curse depending on the person.

[@laurenpinschannels]

@@Balfourism there are levels to it. I've known people who will not, under any circumstances, ease up. if you ask them in any way, mention it at all, they go harder - to prove that nothing you can say can possibly stop them. they've made their decision, and they're going to stick to it, that you can never under any circumstances make them drink less. it's rare. it's dangerous. people who get like this are already at risk of dying from alcohol use, and that level of use is what drives someone to react this way - it becomes genuinely physically dangerous to stop, and they can feel that! eventually, after too much alcohol, one's body gives way and you don't drink enough one day, and then you suddenly get incredibly sick and die all at once. and when someone gets that bad, at some point, the only thing you can really do from a distance is disconnect from them. if you were closer, irl, maybe you could sit them down and have an intervention about the *never taking breaks* part; if you regularly take breaks, you're generally okay. but once someone falls into the attractor where nobody, not even themselves, is allowed to say no - that's when it becomes all but certain that it will be what destroys your life. drinking every day in a week is also a very bad idea; never drink so much alcohol that you need it, and if you accidentally do so, practice saying no sometimes until you're saying no enough to steer your usage again. And then I'd recommend drinking less. Of course, I write this all out to the random reader passing by, not really DysunXanth. You clearly do know this, and I'm rephrasing it for others because this is how I think about it and perhaps it's a useful contribution. Sorry about my overly wordy writing style 😅

[@aviatornic2839]

My group always says to people "Do not feel pressured to drink with us, and its perfectly fine to just hang out". We have friends from all walks of life, so we understand if not everybody wants to get smashed on a Friday night.

[@32-Volt]

Grande Celebru

[@aviatornic2839]

@@32-Volt you're unbelievable.

[@AleksWorkshop]

Gotta surround yourself with the right people

[@epicwarding]

This is the comment i was looking for

[@beanieteamie7435]

Based Aleks

[@notthatbad8844]

Yes

[@CowboyVR_]

I'll drink to that. 🥤

[@lunarchemist6805]

Yeah a few groups I am on right now they'll just say to drink water or something just to keep the vibes.

[@blindlight]

if you drank water every time someone pressured you to drink in VR, you would never be dehydrated again. food for thought. also I hope more chem free spaces / clubs open up in VR even though its hard to police it just some positive support for non-drinkers and moderation could help a lot of people.

[@jakeaurod]

Like tea houses and coffee shops, or is that considered chem?

[@blindlight]

@@jakeaurod thatd be cool with me. i would like to make a chem free music space but not super strict just highly encouraged and rules against drinking games / peer pressure

[@HidinginYourGarden]

dude I actually did that

[@notBeWitchy]

I do this, every time someone says cheers I drink water or energy drinks. I usually forget to drink water and stay hydrated so it's a good timing and I also don't really feel tooooo left out

[@PsychoMantisss]

You don’t want to drink too much water though, you can die from that.

[@Psicough]

Massive tip that some have also mentioned: If someone's trying to pressure you to drink, just have some water and tell them you're getting smashed on tequila or something, they can't tell after all

[@DerakosZrux]

I find the hecklers often have pretty low self-esteem and tolerance for conflict. If you're in a public lobby you have no control over, telling them no and expressing your annoyance that they're being that way will probably make them overreact and they will essentially sabotage themselves into most of the lobby blocking them. Just my take as I think d-bags everywhere need confronted more.

[@GuitarGuruGaming]

An important tip that I was taught shortly after getting into VRChat is that if you are going to drink, have two drinks handy. One drink is your alcohol and another that is just straight water. It's a simple trick that means you get to drink every time somebody says "cheers" without getting absolutely plastered. Since it's VR, the people you are hanging out with can't actually see you in person so they have no idea what you are drinking. So not only do you get to participate the whole night without feeling left out, but you stay hydrated and can largely avoid any kind of hangovers.

[@andrewlesniak8018]

After picking up vrchat, I went from drinking maybe once every other week or so to drinking 3 or 4 times a week, primarily due to ease of access. I love the friend group I've met, and they're cool about it when I feel like I'm done for the moment or am taking a break. I'm probably still on the high end of what could be considered healthy though, if at all.

[@andrewlesniak8018]

@Baxi Woah, ease up dude. I never said that this wasn't something that I've done or that the blame was on some external factor. All I said was it happened when I got into vrchat. It would have been the same with any other social vr platform if I'd met the same people in the same circumstances because I would have made the same choices. It seems like you're being extremely defensive, but I honestly agree with the assessment that the environment that it creates is very fertile ground for substance abuse. That's not the same thing as saying that it causes it, or that the venue is at fault. I'm not denying people's agency, least of all mine. But even if this is a niche issue, this sort of active boost of awareness is good. It's not external controls, its not a pop-up on startup or a breathalyzer on your headset. It's a psa. The vrchat environment is one in which drinking is comfortable and accessible and some people will use that environment and drink to excess. Being vocal about that is not a bad thing.

[@GuitarGuruGaming]

The most important part (which you seem to understand) is to have drinking buddies that respect your boundaries and will understand when you call it quits for the night. That way any decision you make is your own and not one made purely based on peer pressure.

[@justhere630]

@Baxi you missed the point it's not blaming vrchat its making people aware that issues that can arise if you don't watch yourself especially if you're not aware of them, maybe instead of just being so negative maybe take a moment to actually think instead of just assuming

[@Sweeneytv]

I only play vrchat drunk.

[@NauyaWasTaken]

I'm very thankful for the recent wave of videos that talk about the darker aspects of VRChat. Spreading awareness for these things through well produced videos helps way more than just word of mouth. I've lost some good friends to VRChat addictions and vices. Looking over to see people who I used to hang out with having 20,000+ hours in VRChat who've told me that if I want to talk or hang out again, I should just go see them in VR is... A difficult feeling to process.

[@NauyaWasTaken]

@Baxi I had originally wrote a verbose reply to you but after reading more comments, it seems like you're one of those people crusading around your own opinion whilst talking down others who are sharing their genuine negative experiences to get things off their chest. If anything, people like you are the problem. No one here is blaming the userbase of VRChat, but you're going around blaming everyone in the comments for doing so whilst calling them all addicts and people with issues that have no self control. Have you ever been peer pressured? It's not a blameless situation, and it's hard to avoid it depending on the type of person involved. Besides, you're doing far more damage to the reputation of the userbase than this video or anyone sharing their experiences in the comments my friend.

[@NauyaWasTaken]

@Baxi From what you've told me in this comment, it seems like your struggle with addiction in your family is real. You're venting your frustrations out on other people online. No one who hasn't been dealing with the real thing would go out of their way to be this negative towards a subject. Still, VRChat is a product, made by people who don't know you or care to know you. I don't see anyone here saying that it's the responsibility other others to police VRChat behaviour, just others sharing that they have or have had negative experiences in VRChat relating to addiction. Don't die on a hill defending a product from inexistent boogiemen. It's not worth it. I'm sorry for the negativity in my initial reply, are you doing okay? *Edit* Just saw your second reply, yeah you're definitely going through some hard times. It's not healthy throwing all this around. Being this defensive about a topic online isn't good, both because you're letting your own emotions get the better of you and because the ease of aggravation makes you a really easy target, that's why you're running into so much cancel culture. Don't be another Pot calling the Kettle black situation online. If your family is suffering from addiction and you're fighting it yourself, you're better than this.

[@Sovereignless_Soul]

@Baxi Exposing the fact that bad things happen somewhere is considered "close to cancel culture now?" So then what about the grooming that occurs every single day on VRChat? Is talking about that also cancel culture? What defines it?

[@DerakosZrux]

I just don't think that it's that novel. What you described can be the case for people that don't want to go anywhere that doesn't serve alcohol. The interface is new... but everything else seems like stuff we were already dealing with. I've just yet to see a "this thing is VR is bad" video that didn't seem like click-bait. The one that talks about mirrors just makes a lot of negative assumptions that are just wrong, claiming they're self-obsessed or having body-dysmorphia.... instead of it just being an easy way to see everyone you're hanging out with in a setting that, while it's getting better, choosing not to move around much is still often ideal. Not saying people don't have issues, but I am saying that for most people VRchat is not the reason it's just the social setting they prefer and have access to.

[@Lupain]

@@NauyaWasTaken Just about the peer pressure. Not saying that you are completely wrong, but when people do stupid things because of peer pressure, it's their own fault completely. Different individuals have different levels of self-control, I had/have issues with alcoholism since I was 15 because my life gone worse everyday until today, I've regained more and more self-control over the years later because I don't wanna die early of this. If anyone taking drugs, drink or smoke just because your friends thinks it is COOL and you're afraid of being excluded otherwise it is still his fault for 100%, while I have to say that it's sad how the society works who the hell wants to befriended with brainless zombies who would not like you anymore because you don't wanna give up your own personality. I'd rather be alone than this.

[@TheGwizmiester]

I've had a few friends cut back or take long breaks from VR simply because they knew they were drinking too much. As someone who is pretty deep in the party scene it's definitely easy to go overboard and fall into a cycle of drinking regularly because it's just what you would do at any other irl club. You don't *need* to drink to dance and have fun with your friends but hearing 30 people shout cheers every minute or so doesn't exactly help. 🤷‍♀️ Just gotta discipline yourself and not get too caught up I suppose

[@huzrokhayzur2197]

I've one time at a VR Dj club and the dude organizing the event was non stop telling people to take shots (each freakin time he had to do an annoncement)

[@busteronlyfullscreenmode]

Whenever someone says "cheers" I just use it as an excuse to obnoxiously gargle water.

[@cmnidit4444]

that is obnoxious

[@busteronlyfullscreenmode]

@@cmnidit4444 ❤️

[@gravel4189]

Vr literally took me from never wanting to drink alcohol when I was 19, to drinking while I was on medication and nearly dying. I broke a cabinet in my bathroom because I passed out and fell. I had to explain that to my parents and spent the whole next day throwing up and not able to walk

[@CurvedGD]

Thanks to you PHIA, I am highly considering to buying a VR headset, thank you for the epic content aswell as I have realised that your content has been increasingly higher quality! Keep up the content!

[@whiteberrywyatt]

Careful what you wish for lmao. Vrchat is a different breed of humans

[@zig131]

A second-hand Rift CV1 is still a great choice for a first headset. Affordable consumer VR tech hasn't really moved on all that much. I bought one and I am very happy with it. No battery to worry about and has good comfort and audio quality out the box.

[@CurvedGD]

@@whiteberrywyatt played it on PC, along with recroom

[@whiteberrywyatt]

@@zig131 even better… get a Rift S! I had one for three years and they are less than $200 used if you’re lucky

[@C_chill282]

I would highly recommend getting a Quest 2. Not only is it still being supported but you can't beat the cost.

[@ChroahCresta]

Let's turn vrchat alcoholism into a drinking game. Take a shot every time someone says cheers. ...wait.

[@Omnipulsar]

try that with my favorite drink, everclear

[@GoldKitsuneBrony]

Or 'Tink tink'~

[@ravins4786]

GOD FUCKING DAMN IT ITS SO ACCURATE TOO.

[@yardsalePDX]

Great video Phia! While I totally agree that there is a issue with alcohol itself in VR, I wonder if this is indicative of a larger issue with VR in general? Like, the issue of immersion you brought up, where you don't even notice how drunk you are until you take off the headset, or the fact that if you get kicked out of an instance you can just hop into another one and keep on going... just seems like those points indicate a larger issue to investigate maybe? Regardless, great video Phia! Side note, I LOVED the mix of your VRC avatar and your IRL self in this vid, great editing choice! Always look forward to your vids dude :D

[@TheVirtualRealityShow]

Definitely a subset of VRChat addiction as a topic. Hopefully more on this in the near future :)

[@madisonbell5481]

@@TheVirtualRealityShow Maybe a video about the ways in which VRChat, as a medium, changes how we interact with eachother (vs. irl). To quote McLuhan, "the medium is the message", right?

[@chippdbanjo]

Despite me being a few years young for drinking, I still find myself going to a lot of drinking worlds since I just have a better time with people Also. No I don’t drink, and I’ve noticed that people don’t hide behind the anime mask as much when they are under. They just feel like they are being real for once.

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

As a once non-drinker, I nearly went to this hell myself and thankfully came back out of the depths of it. Being surrounded by people from different time zones means there's always the potential for it being "drinking time" and that makes it especially tempting to have "just one more sip". I've now replaced my raising a glass of wine to raising a glass of water and it's just as fun.

[@MaluuhLive]

@Baxi no one blamed the user base, the purpose of all of this is raising awareness

[@mikafizz1022]

​@Baxi they didn't blame every user of vrchat though, why are you making an argument that didn't exist?

[@GuitarGuruGaming]

yeah, that's an important realization, that the people you are with can't actually see what you are drinking. So if you choose you get to be the best hydrated person in the room lol.

[@vampyrickiller909]

I remember back in 2020 when quarantine hit. I picked up an oculus rift s. And i found a friend group. And then before i knew it, i was a mini alcoholic. I would go into vr drinking and feel fine, then take off the headset and then i would hit the floor. Glad i kicked that shit

[@Lilithe]

Re: Sippy cups and drinking on VR... it's good for liquids replenishment too! I have a water bottle on a table behind where I usually stand when I play VR so I can reach back for it. That or a cup with a lid / straw or a sippy cup. No spills and all the liquids your body craves! :D

[@HoshPak]

So glad I didn't get pressured into drinking, yet. I join club events regularly and so far they have been exceptionally good without a single drop of alcohol. Stay safe out there, folks.

[@SlyTheShark]

saw this pop up in my recommended, and yeah its awesome seeing people cover both the good and the bad sides of the coin and spread awareness to this kind of stuff, I love to chill in the party scene and such, but knowing one's limits is always an important thing , I like to go up to ppl sometimes and ask if they've had any water or such on their heavier drinking moments. Thnx for the awesome content, I'll keep an eye out for your stuff for sure :)

[@angelaheart6432]

Really liked the edits you did between VR to IRL, seamless and very well done. This video was very nice to watch knowing that someone finally spoke up about it. I feel like more people need to have friends with this kind of mindset to help them when they fall down

[@ctrlaltbang9883]

Crap, you got me. I feel personally attacked lol. Either way, this is an issue I won't lie. Good vid.

[@lycanlass]

I NEVER drank b4 vr. Now I drink occasionally. It happens

[@ctrlaltbang9883]

Every now and then I will Drink, only on Fridays. When I do, VR chat is my place. I would rather be under the influence in my own home than on the road posing a threat.

[@lycanlass]

@@ctrlaltbang9883 100% my friend

[@lycanlass]

@Baxi i agree with u streamers and the like can call against it all they want. Its like trying to stop the crashers n black kat. There's 1 of 2 defenses n vrc we can all use that they should teach every1 about instead (im amazed at how many ppl dont know about these) the report button and the block/hide button and ur own common sense and discretion. That's the only true defenses we have n vrc if people become a problem. And sticking together.

[@kishy6558]

i’m honestly so excited for you to reach 200k you make such great content and you deserve it

[@Twortles]

Hey Phia! Glad you could make a video about this. It just feels like whenever I know tries to bring up this topic, they get brushed aside and are told to "not worry about it". Glad you could get some visibility on this topic! For sure it helps with the feeling of "escapism" that's prevalent in VRChat

[@XtendedReality]

Very well said, Phia. The subject is a point of perspective that nobody really takes insight on, especially the people that drink in VR spaces often. Really big fan of your work, keep it up:)

[@ran4082]

love what you are doing with vr, helping people out. Keep it up Phia!

[@derekborst466]

I really liked this topic, a lot. I've been struggling with alcohol since I got out of college, on and off the wagon, just straight up struggling. I've always been quiet, somewhat antisocial, but when I drank in VRChat it felt incredible and SO immersive. I've had to stop playing in VR because it became an enabler. Life as an alcoholic is hard enough. I miss VR, I can't wait until I can go back and play when I'm strong enough to say no. I need to be as strong as an alcoholic going into a bar, ordering a glass of sparkling water with lemon, and being the DD for the night.

[@NauyaWasTaken]

I'm just some random stranger but, I wanna say, you got this. Master the power of No Thank You.

[@Pendarr]

I've only drank a couple times in my life, but all my friends that use VR are usually drinking - sometimes pretty heavily. It's a little embarrassing to admit but I often find myself just pretending to be drinking as well when someone says 'cheers' even though I'm really just drinking coffee, a diet pepsi or just water. Drinking seems to be the central theme, the motif, of why so many people even still log in to VRChat. It makes me a little sad because I see how drastically some of my friends change when they are super drunk. I've been dealing with loneliness and the few times I've drank in VR were partially fueled by that desire to fit in. But I don't like it.

[@paolaanimator]

No worries! I also drink water, tea, coffee, smoothies, etc in VR Chat.

[@NauyaWasTaken]

I know that feeling, the loneliness sucks and it peer pressures you more than any one person ever could. Still, I think you shouldn't feel embarrassed that you don't want to get caught up with all of the drinking and being wasted. If anything, you should be proud that you won't let others intrude on decisions you've made for your own health. Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone you know who can support you. We're all in this boat together.

[@rinshotin2521]

@@NauyaWasTaken ♡♡♡

[@wanderlust1282]

Another great episode. I’m always most fascinated by the social aspects of VR. Would you do an episode on what gets people motivated to do VR in the first place, and keeps them interested in it? I am curious to know how much of it is escapism, curiosity, fascinated with the technology, etc.

[@capristone]

Great video! I'm glad someone is talking about this, I've seen it happen throughout so many friend groups.

[@Clarity_VT2]

Hopefully everyone can take something from this and become more self-aware that the escapism of VRChat and lack of gate-keeping in it can influence... well, quite a problem. Be safe out there everyone!

[@TheVirtualRealityShow]

Thanks for the interview Clarity

[@Stryker_VR]

really informative video, I think its funny you uploaded this today because Sunday night (June 5) I ended up drinking with a buddy of mine. He told me to go to drinking night and meet some new people so thats exactly what I did. I met a lot of cool people that night, but with every new person I met? I took a shot with them. I ended the night with about 19 shots in my system. Mind you, I had an awesome time being so social and laughing the whole time with other people, but it was something I dont think I could see my self doing very often.

[@Phaustin]

5 days old and only 27k views. This needs more eyeballs and attention. I've been around vrchat for years now. And this has been a huge on-going issue. And some people really hurt themselves. Thank you for making this video. 💜 I hope more people see it in the community, especially the ones that NEED to see it. We might have fun in VR but we need to take care of our real selves/body too. Love what you do!

[@bluebell1]

Phia this is an awesome video! I love that you are bringing up issues that can happen when taking alcohol to an unsafe level! Peer pressure is hard for some people! Thank you for bringing awareness to your community!

[@moonoramaVR]

Thanks for making this video. I like how you disclaim that you do partake in drinking alcohol in VR, but you don’t make it a regular thing. And it’s up to each person whether it’s something they want to do. And, Understanding where to draw the line is important. Moderation is key to this type of thing. I drink water and sparkling water with friends. Tastes better, hydrates me, and doesn’t affect my body in a harmful way.

[@marytone909]

Nearly two years ago now, when I was almost 21, and 21, I remember being in this group of friends who all were like this, and became a really bad influence to me once I was able to purchase alcohol myself legally. I remember "water" being a forbidden word that made you have to take a drink if you said it. I would probably be in a really bad state now if I didn't have to start taking a medication I couldn't drink on, and eventually fell out with those people. I appreciate someone with such a large platform speaking about the issue.

[@Lupain]

Why would you let them influence you in such a bad way?

[@cmnidit4444]

@@Lupain because secretly everyone wants to KNOW what that feeling of being drunk is. then later you say you were pressured, when really, it was a little thought in the back of your head.

[@Skeeva007]

Great video. Love that you are covering real topics. Great work!

[@GATOATTACK]

This a really important video. As a streamer/content creator you also often find other creators only wanting to collab on drunk nights. Or viewers wanting us to just stream when drunk. Often times this is the reason I take long breaks from VR to avoid this pressure.

[@iamLucid]

Verry happy you made this video

[@hdsavion]

I'm a bit surprised that you covered this but I'm really glad you did!

[@iamMarinara]

Very intriguing and eye opening video. I've noticed a lot of alcoholics in VR and honestly it really concerns me; not just for the people around them but for the actual people that are drunk behind the headset. very good video! Love your work as always!

[@huzrokhayzur2197]

yeah i'm worried for them and can't really enjoy the moment since i have no idea how much they are waisted behind their headset,

[@S1RLANC3]

Thank's for clarifying this. I am also one of the ones that fall into this category. I'm actually stopping now and not doing any weekday drinking from here on than. You keep being awesome and take care.

[@YumiYume]

A good, balanced view of the pros and cons of partying and drinking in VR. I do hang out with friends on Friday nights and yeah, it can go on for 7 or 8 hours easy, drinking and dancing. But as Clint Eastwood said in 'Dirty Harry', "A fox girl's got to know her limitations". By the way, if anyone (over 18 years) needs to talk about problems they are having, I am a mental health supporter in VRChat, Discord and Twitter (although not a professional or registered counsellor). I hold a Stage 2 Certificate in counselling in the UK and listen without judgement to all sorts of problems from all sorts of people for free. I started down this path of VR counselling after helping someone through a very rough time in their life when they became a near alcoholic in VRChat as a way to escape it.

[@the0nlytrueprophet942]

Your editing is great btw. Very easy listening with that music as well.

[@melissaq8854]

ive met lots of people who drink waaaay too much and are shut ins its a huge problem, they drink because its fun and they want to join the fun, but then they join more friends for fun who are drinking and they slip into drinking waaaaay too much. theres also the problems of people in VR who cant see what you actually look like irl too see if you are too drunk. glad you covered this subject

[@marct1187]

I found myself getting into a loop on Horizon worlds, with the same sort of issue happening to me. I was getting plastered and chatting with people almost every single night, losing sense of time. I wouldn’t even realize how drunk I was getting until I took off my headset, like you said. I was drinking an insane amount of hard alcohol and wasn’t even realizing it. It can definitely be a slippery slope to tread. Be safe and take care of your physical selves when you’re in the virtual realm.

[@MilkyWayHeroz]

I was a part of a big drinking group, thing is I only drank once a week on the weekend. they even had a discord and for the most part it was nice. tbh you just have to keep yourself in line. oh and for the record not all big drinking groups pressure you to drink, those who wanted to drink would drink and those who didn't could just chill and vibe with everyone. either way it was a fun time and I'd recommend finding the right people to drink with, just don't overdo it.

[@DiblingXx]

I have social anxiety and there is something so comforting about people who drink with you... It's nice. I miss my lockdown VRC parties. T-T

[@WinnieTehPoop]

Thanks for bringing this to light

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

Remember with peer pressure why you should get out of there you can always drink water and lie and say you're getting drunk as hell. they'll never know they're getting drunk too. Oh but regardless if you drink, drink water as you do. my gosh you got to do it or you're going to get messed up. Not to mention it takes the edge off The hangover which in many ways is partially a dehydration headache

[@NauyaWasTaken]

If it's alcohol, food helps too!

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

@@NauyaWasTaken soak it up with that spongy food!!

[@WeareCreative360]

great insight and info Phia!

[@hyenaedits3460]

I've gone to a few VR clubbing events and the pressure to drink is *real.* I tend to take the nonconfrontational approach and pretend to drink when it's really a bottle of soda or water I'm chugging, or I'll nurse a Mike's Hard Lemonade the whole night. I don't really like the taste of alcohol and I don't like losing control.

[@GuitarGuruGaming]

One of the core Tenets of one of the drinking groups I hang out with on the weekends in VR is "When we say cheers, you drink... but we couldn't care less *what* you drink". more often than not there is at least a handful of people at each event that are completely sober the entire time (normally because they work early in the morning or have some other reason) and everyone there is totally chill about it. It's super important to surround yourself with the right people.

[@TechnoGlowStick]

Wow... This is crazy. I've never done either one, so this is completely new to me! I don't know you, Clarity, but I'm glad you're okay! 🙂

[@ImaginaryX]

This was definitely an important topic to discuss! Well done Phia, great video. I never drank, but I know for a fact that dancing is better off separating from drinking when it comes to clubs, let's be real.😅😅 And thnx for the shout-out at the end! 💙

[@adam2O]

OH MY LORD THAT KERMIT THE FROG LOL! 6:53

[@valkayrie1198]

whenever I DJ in VR I have these "rules for drinking" and the 1st one actively encourages having water, food, soda, etc while the 2nd says not to bash people for what they choose. 2 simple things plastered on every video screen of a world and I still have to leave the DJ booth if I'm self hosting or message the party host to deal with people that think it's ok to pressure other people to drink heavily.

[@GuitarGuruGaming]

I respect that, especially as the DJ you have a little more pull than anyone else in the room and so it's good to set a responsible example.

[@nuggies5348]

I honestly love drinking in VR as well, especially every week after stressful work days. But of course, I admit I'm one of those people who would drink until they passed out. I honestly would stay in front of the old Drinking Night, the day when it's not yet quest compatible. And every time someone joins, I love to talk to them and asking them how's their day been etc. It's wonderful how so many people decided to come in and drink almost everyday. I honestly wouldn't be surprise if one day, I were to become one of people like these It's like, alcohol make me less nervous to talk to people, and I think I'm addict to that But now, it's bad seeing kids in the Drinking Night and get the bad influence

[@_gamma.]

Creating content like this shows how deeply you care about the community, good work. VRChat is better with your presence

[@Spellwinder5]

Thank you for this

[@arcanedame3015]

Thanks for bringing awareness to stuff like this.

[@123SuperSomeone]

Just this past weekend, I actually got blackout drunk playing VRChat. While the social aspect was definitely a lot of fun, the hangover was awful and I really could have hurt myself since I live alone. The social part was great and I'd like to do it again, but I'm glad I learned my limits and I intend to limit myself to one or two beers, and nothing stronger than beer.

[@krasnoiark]

For me that's where I met the closest friends. I do make sure that I regulated myself. I can't drink anymore because of something completely different but those days on friday nights drinking with the bois and doing silly games and stuff was my favorate part of vrchat. I see those days like a nostlagic feeling. But I have to admit I've seen people just drink all the time and it was quite unsettling especially when they try to force you to drink

[@edattacks]

I'm hearing atleast one "CHEERS" in each VRChat sesh lol. Every now and then, I'm the one saying cheers haha. Yea I know some people that be drunk or drugs (weed or acid) all the time in VR

[@Curv0987]

Every time I get on the Oculus, it seems I have a drink in my hand. I'm about to go into rehab soon my alcoholism has gotten so bad. Thank you for making this video and bringing awareness to the matter.

[@mitusgladius2324]

Took a major break from Vrchat for this very reason. Glad you're speaking up about it!

[@noruow6bwkekke]

Thank you for addressing this

[@Big6C]

Just a few days ago my best friend‘s dad died from an alcohol overdose, so I really appreciate you making this now.

[@dashtothemax5353]

Thank you for talking about this. I've been to the hospital 10 times for alcohol withdrawals after getting VR. Before VR I only did meth and while I would never recommend it, never had any problems.

[@Durch-Laucht]

Greate video, as always. Thanks

[@amarantenightcore2134]

I just got into VR chat and I came here once just to check it out and everyone was drinking, I was the only one wasn't drinking because even though I am of age and can drink I chose not to because it isn't for me. It was an interesting experience being the only one there sober haha.

[@Sanquinity]

As someone who hates going to clubs and bars, drinking in VRC became my replacement. It also only costs me like 4~8 euros for the entire evening. But most importantly: I make it a point to try to stop right before I go from being very tipsy, to actually being drunk. Usually that means I stop in time, sometimes that means I stop just a little bit too late and become a bit drunk. (though never even close to being blackout drunk) And I also keep it to one evening per week. All of that being said: Yes, drinking culture in VRC is a problem. People will encourage you to drink more. Or to start drinking in general, to join them. I've had multiple friends that went off the deep end. Drinking multiple evenings a week or even every evening. Often getting blackout drunk or even actively aiming to get that drunk. Drinking 1.5~2 bottles of vodka a on drinking night. Stuff like that. Safe to say they aren't my friends anymore. Drinking with friends is fun. Drinking with alcoholics isn't. Especially when they try to convince you to drink more as well.

[@shiiggy]

thank you for talking about this

[@jakeaurod]

I've only been using VRC for a couple weeks and now have been out of it for over a week. Most of my drinking while watching VR (I'm a desktop player) is tea, but I've had a couple hard ciders while in game. Drinking is social, and VRC is a social network, so it makes perfect sense for people to drink while socializing in it. But, I don't do much drinking in VRC because I don't do much socializing in VRC, and the same goes with IRL.

[@WanderingWind71]

As someone who has had drinking problems in the past, I definitely can see the problem with being in VR and having people encourage you to keep going. I was a solo drinker. I just went out and grabbed a bottle of whatever caught my fancy and then went home and drank. If I'd been involved in vrchat I can definitely see how that could have gotten worse. Thankfully I am in a recovery program to help me realize what triggers me and what I can do to avoid the temptations. Like you, I don't judge others for doing it, but I know that I personally cannot handle it.

[@keeshuunedited5678]

Drink responsibly! It's good for a celebration, but you gotta set rules and have the right environment. If you are sad, and are drinking to become happy, you're doing it wrong. Here's some things to keep in mind: 1. Get with friends you can trust to be responsible, 2. Make sure your room and pathway to bathroom are safe (bathroom breaks and such), and probably have a little trash bin you can barf into in case you are unable to make it in time. Preferably with stuff to clean it up. 3. Be in a good mood BEFORE drinking 4. Set a max amount of alcohol you can drink. I personally like to pour the drinks out and never have a reason to go back. If you refill once, depending on who you are, you might be tempted to keep refilling or lose track of how much you have drank. Since I'm in VR, I usually track it in my status. If I was IRL, I'd probably use my cellphone or something (I don't particularly like the idea of a drunk person with something stabable like a pencil/pen). 5. Have some easy to obtain water/food that stops you from feeling drunk in case you start having a bad time suddenly and to prevent hangovers. 6. Research stuff about alcohol. I may have had a bit of alcohol now, but I'm still practically a newbie compared to some people that have had 1 type of every alcohol in the alcohol store, or makes it themselves and does mixing. Look into what you are drinking, and start off with weaker stuff and go stronger in order to find your limit, not that you need to reach your limit to have fun. If you start mixing, be cautious, I've heard many stories about it going wrong, and someone from my family had to go to the hospital and almost died because of mixing improperly. My life story with drinking for the curious: My father was a bit questionable with some decisions. However him having me taste alcohol when I was 6 years old made me learn to absolutely despise ever entertaining the thought of alcohol because it tasted so bad (and I think it was too light to actually effect me too). So I didn't touch it until around 19-early 20s, I forget when, it was when some friends were helping me get over anxiety. Which it kinda did at the time, but I think that was me more focusing on "oh what's this new thing" making me temporarily forget about my anxiety. Person that offered it drank a lot of alcohol and eventually started making their own, so I learned a few things. Biggest example is I've never had a hangover from alcohol because they always made sure I had water/ate some things after drinking, and I continue to do that nowadays whenever I get the chance to drink. I would then not touch alcohol again until I was around 32 (about to be 34 this year) because I was testing to see pros and cons of alcohol in a social setting (also recording myself being goofy was just a bonus). Starting off with 5% and was planning on working my way up. I can get drunk off 5% still, but I generally have to keep holding it in my hand, otherwise I sip at it too slowly to get drunk. However sipping 5% is what I prefer because it "takes the edge off", but doesn't stop me from thinking properly. Then for my 32nd birthday I decided to go drink a bit more but in VR this time, my closest friend to this day suggest kraken, which is 47%, literally more than 9 times stronger. Then I was sharing my b-day with a self-proclaimed irish man who did quite a bit of drinking at the time. I figured he'd know a thing or two about alcohol, and he suggested way more than I should have had. Each "shot" I had was 2.5 ounces, as opposed to the 1 ounce I was originally going to have. So by the end it was getting hard to balance, and my mind was like a slideshow for what I saw. Makes me wonder if I was about to blackout or something. I would later then barf, which surprised me because I felt amazing and nothing felt wrong at all, stomach felt completely normal too. Closest friend told me to stop (who also was drinking for the first time I believe), I thought they were being too cautious, but I listened. Glad I did, I can only imagine how bad it would've been if I kept drinking. I only poured 4 "shots", and I was originally going to drink all 10 that I poured out and have that be the limit. I felt awful after barfing, but luckily someone decided to sit by me which made me feel good. It would've been a terrible night if they didn't do that. Funnily enough I don't slur my words much when drunk ( I record when I drink and watch back in case I say something dumb too), but I dooooooo liiike saaayiiing words in a loooong way. I'm a happy, huggy drunk, but that could just be because I only drink if I'm happy and I'm with close friends. I only drank alcohol once alone, and then when I was about to go meet some friends, I had some anxiety that I haven't felt in a long time, and the alcohol just kinda snowballed negative feelings until I felt sad and alone until an hour or two later someone invited me somewhere, which cheered me up quite fast 'cuz yay friends. Alcohol really does effect your emotions quite a bit, this is why I also worry about my friends that drink to get happy. As for people suggesting I drink when everyone else is drinking I usually don't, because I like to be able to see them be goofy, and comfort them if they suddenly get sad out of nowhere. If I do drink, it's only 5%. I only drink harder stuff for things that are planned. I don't think I'll go higher than 27% since that make me drunk almost as fast as the 47%, but It's much easier to drink. I don't drink often, I mean, last time I drank alcohol was over half a year ago. The stars just haven't aligned to drink recently. Either been sick, had some sort of minor injury that just needed a little rest, being busy so there was a good time, or people disrupting my sleep so bad that I'm basically "sleep drunk" anyways. Quality > Quantity for drinking. It'd you're gonna put expensive poison into the body, it better be a dang good time! Besides, alcohol lasts forever, so it's not like you need to remove it immediately. Whatever the case: I do think everyone should try alcohol a few times in their life, just be safe about it and don't let it become a recurring thing. I just felt the need to ramble on this because I've seen friends IRL and on VR struggle with alcoholism, and I feel like everyone knows at least a dozen people who have had problems with alcoholism. It's fun, but you have to be careful with it. Oh, and while alcohol can be a "social lubricant", it's not going to suddenly make you a social person. I've seen a few too many people treat alcohol as an easy answer to be social. There are other ways to help you be social if you aren't already.

[@sugoifunk]

So glad someone finally called this out

[@camijoy3001]

as somebody who got into the iffy part of vr drinking i can fully admit its a pandemic in vr. when i first started drinking in vrchat it was 3 days a week EVERY WEEK for a few months. but i managed to get away from that really bad habit. now i occasionally drink but its light drinking very rarely do i get super drunk. whereas in the past i was black out drunk those three days a week. and i was once on the verge of alcohol poisoning because i drank WAY too much one night. that was the night i realized i didnt like being blacked out on a regular and i didnt like that sensation. so now ill happily casually drink with the occasional " yea ill get drunk drunk" but mostly just for special occasions (birthdays or special events). but yea... i finally escaped that bad loop... and have improved.

[@yyyyhuhguitf1552]

You made me to get into vr thank you

[@lazy3106]

I could totally relate to the part of being that one person that doesn't drink out of the bunch, it's hell of a hassle to keep an eye on some of your plastered friends throughout the night. It's fun to hangout with them, party, and such, but they keep saying that I'm gonna love it when I turn 21 and drink. (I'm 19 going 20 next month) When I do, I usually have a glass of whine or a can of hard seltzer, that's it. Sometimes I keep my distance, depending on the chaos, but I have a blast taking water/juice shots with them for the hell of it sometimes lol

[@natasha6867]

i haven't played vr chat but have been interested in trying it out. im curious, it seems like it'd be easy to lie and say you drank in that situation? i've done that in real life, but it takes some effort sometimes to hide that you're just drinking water. but in vr they have no way to tell.

[@lonesomecross]

Drinking can definitely be a weird subject when it comes to VR. I personally enjoy drinking with a tight knit group of friends that I met during one of their Friday night escapades, and we have a blast. So much so, one of our buddies, @PreExistence, has gone through hours of footage to make highlight reels for us to look back on and laugh at ourselves. I’ve also seen some pretty crazy stuff happen in VR when drinking was involved, so I think moderation is the best policy!

[@vrsafetyinitiativevsi5716]

This a interesting I am glad you are talking about this, it would be nice if you also talked about the growing issue with kids and grooming in this game. Would be nice for someone to talk about how vrchat is more likely to ban the person reporting it than the person grooming, or how they are more likely to delete posts talking about the issue.

[@hizzyvr]

I really like this video, I struggled like many, every weekend id get drunk for pretty much no apparent reason other than to get fucked up. it was the norm in the game. Now i havent drank in quite some time, but tonight ill be drinking for my first time again in months. But i can definitely say that i will no where near get to the level of drinking i had in the past in this game, its just not healthy.

[@md1864]

I am glad you are pointing out the pros and cons of VR, especially when it comes to the dark escapism that is sadly attractive at first glance to those currently “in the gutter”. VR chat has so much potential, but people need to be cognizant of its dangers. I believe some fail safes should be in order like VR reminders of how much time is spent, and even scheduling features to remind players of their bodily needs.

[@twystedgamer1174]

I absolutely agree with this. I have a friend I met on VRChat who is 17, and they have been getting heavily drunk on hard liquor every day or two for the past 6 months. I've drank a few times myself but the only time I got too drunk was on accident -as you mentioned, it is very hard to tell just how drunk you are till you take the headset off- and I make sure to drink only on occasion. But I have been tempted many times to drink excessively, and my past is what keeps me from it; My father committed suicide drunk, I promised I would not make the same mistake and is likely why I didn't give in to this trend. People need to realize we aren't invincible, by the age you can drink you've nearly started getting less resilient to this kind of harm. Whether it be doing something irresponsible that gets you killed, alcohol poisoning or just permanent damage for the rest of your life, it isn't worth it. Nice vid btw, this helped me realize what I already knew, but just didn't realize I knew.

[@ShadowWulfGaming]

Thank you for covering this Phia, its important we cover stuff like this as clubbers

[@DansMantra]

I was in that Drinking Night world a few hours ago with a group of friends. Its a shame that many people develop these kinds of issues, I get that VR allows us to escape the negative aspects of our lives. For myself nearly 3 years ago I had ended my marriage to my abusive wife and it was tough..I did find myself depressed but never found myself overdoing anything like eating or drinking.. To those that have issues I heed you to talk to someone you trust and never feel.like you are not alone in irl or vr.

[@miliku]

as Someone who is watching this video while nursing a hangover from vrchat. i think the video hits on some excellent points but let me just drop some "tricks" for people who want to drink in vr but be more careful about it 1. it's even mentioned in the video but take off your headset! just take it off for a minute or 2 once in a while your body does not realize how drunk you really are until you do this so its good to gauge how drunk you really are 2. drink water and make sure your friends do this too 3. dont listen to the crazy amount of alcohol people try to make you drink just drink at your owne pace (nobody can see or tell how much you actually drink anyway) 4. look out for each other check up on your friends make sure they are having fun and not getting sick or uncomfortable 5. find your limit and stop when you hit it we drink to have a good time not get spend a day puking and being sick because we had too much

[@tnlwithtrixiekat478]

What an interesting segment.

[@RadiantFoxx]

Fr tho it is a problem, I was hanging out in drinking night with a couple of friends and a 14 year old was black out drunk and throwing up on the floor. His trackers kept showing that he was falling and couldn't walk straight. I added him and never seen him online since, this was 4 months ago. There were people pressuring him to drink more and he was chugging the bottle like a champ. But I think you need to be around better people and not to drink too early!

[@allcool27gaming]

This is going to be good!

[@OniKitsuChi1962]

I was falling into this very social group and it was becoming a problem. I don't normally drink irl mostly holidays and a bit on my bday, but in vr I would start drinking with one group the switch to a new one. I would experience black outs where I couldn't remember what happened the night before, I was scared that of what I was becoming and forced myself not to continue down that path. I no longer drink when I play vr even when I'm with one of these groups.

[@cartossin]

This is really good journalism.

[@Coziest777]

1:12 I wasn't expecting the Boy Pablo reference

[@morxi5817]

I do drink during my time in vrc, but I don't go past after one or two drinks. I'd still like to be able to hear, see, and speak clearly and not be a rambling mess.

[@FluxNomad678]

I'm still new to VR Chat. Are there alternatives scenes to this like Cafe / Coffee shop worlds? l see a lot of appeal to people having an experience together around something in common, but it shouldn't have to mess you up.

[@shawnaltman5969]

I used to hang out with a group that peer pressured me into drinking, after some bad experiences though i started taking shots of water to make it look like i was drinking more than i was until i eventually left the group