Should you go out, or is staying in better?

Across social media platforms such as TikTok, especially in the past year, users have argued that staying in is the more favourable option between going out or staying in; posting videos taken in their pyjamas, face mask on, Stanley cup full, all usually done by 9pm. It seems as if there has been an epidemic of spending evenings at home and a lack of people going on nights out.

But what is really the better option? The weather is getting nicer, the evenings are getting longer, we all begin to wonder: should we go out or should we stay in?

Cosmopolitan released an article outlining 23 reasons why you should stay in instead of going out, which may suggest a potential shift in  the future of socialising. Instead of the iconic Regina George quote, “I can’t go out ‘cough cough’, I’m sick,” it looks like you won’t need an excuse not to go out anymore.

Whilst you can still socialise by staying in, it can feel as if you are throwing away a balanced lifestyle for yourself 

Now, especially due to the warm weather at the moment, it seems to be an idyllic and perfect time to head out in the evening. Imagine yourself sitting in a pub garden, surrounded by your friends, a cool drink in hand, bathing in the warm evening sun. On the other hand, this might not be your ideal evening plan. Some may feel that this preference to got out is enforced through the power influence of social media, rather than it coming from your own personal distaste.

So, where did the rise of favouring staying at home on a weekend come from? We could think back to the wave of the ‘clean girl aesthetic’ which British Vogue suggests is refusing to dissipate. This trend took hold of the internet during 2020 and changed the way we view healthy lifestyles, perhaps giving the impression of it being all or nothing. Surely, you cannot be a ‘clean girl’ if you are ruining your perfect image with nights out?

This point of view is extremely unrealistic when broken down into how these, perhaps performative, images place pressure onto young people, pressuring them to put themselves into a box. It could be considered that these different aesthetics and lifestyles that are being promoted online causes university students uncertainty and stress on how they believe they should conduct themselves. This may lead them to question whether they should go out or stay in when comparing themselves to this restrained image they feel they should fit in to.

From a university fresher, I understand the anxieties surrounding going out

Whilst you can still socialise by staying in, it can feel as if you are throwing away a balanced lifestyle for yourself. It isn’t good for your mental wellbeing to continuously lock yourself inside in the evenings, even if it is enjoyable. From a university fresher, I understand the anxieties surrounding going out, especially if you don’t feel comfortable doing so, or even if you are a person who would just rather stay inside. However, the benefits that arise from leaving your room for even a few hours can help you to feel a balance at university and to create a separation from your living space.

To ‘go out’ at university does not just mean clubbing or drinking

Summer offers the perfect opportunity to go out in the evenings more as the days get longer. To ‘go out’ at university does not just mean clubbing or drinking. Going out could be the act of going on a walk, having a picnic, or going out for a meal.

Ultimately, this all comes down to having a clear and thorough understanding of what it means to have balance in your life. Going in and going out needs to be levelled in order to attain a good grasp of looking after your mental wellbeing. Sometimes you may know that you need a night in, which doesn’t need an excuse, like faking that you are sick.

So, should we go out or stay in? Why not just do both. It is not a decision that needs the input from others, but needs to stem from your own understanding of what you truly need.