Sobriety Unleashed –

June 18, 2019 – Jennifer Gimenez was arguably one of the original sober influencers. Before pop culture’s lifestyle icons lived on the internet, they lived on reality television. Shows like The Real World, The Challenge, and Flavor of Love capitalized on the drunken antics of their casts. It made perfect sense, then, that shows like Sober House and Celebrity Rehab followed, documenting the consequences of all that “fun.” In 2008, Gimenez, a model and actress who was sober two years at the time, was asked to be a coach on Celebrity Rehab; the following year, she appeared on Sober House to live with castmates like Andy Dick and Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler during their recoveries. Gimenez says she didn’t think she, Dr. Drew, or VH1 knew exactly what they were getting into. “It was so raw and real,” she says… 

A recent Atlantic article found that while there are limited statistics to quantify the decrease in millennial drinking, there is a developing cultural shift wherein social lives aren’t as alcohol-centric as they once were. There’s a feeling that this change — coupled with the emergence of trendsetters who see their sobriety as an asset — could hugely change the role booze plays in our social lives. At the same time, there are valid concerns that it glosses over the complicated and nuanced processes of giving up alcohol. So is it a benefit or a deterrent to the sober movement? As is often the case when talking about internet-bred cultural moments, it’s likely both…

Full Story @ Vox.com