New photos reveal the not so wild reality of Schoolies

We have come to expect a full range of wild behaviour from the teenagers at Schoolies – which makes this year’s reality rather surprising.

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You’d expect gutter meetings, pointless screeching, unnecessary piggybacks, and far too many crop tops at 11.30pm. The reality of Schoolies this year is far quieter.

From the 18th of November to the 3rd of December, school leavers take over Australia’s Gold Coast and wreak havoc. Or do they?

Currently, a TikTok that features a main street on the Gold Coast looking eerily civilised at 11.30pm on day five of Schoolies is going viral.

Sure, there are young people, but they are happily talking in groups, strolling up the streets together, and are on the verge of coming across as timid.

It looks like an ordinary night on the Sunshine Coast. It certainly does not look like the kind of night you’d need to hide from your parents. Instead of wild and crazy, it seems more controlled and chill.

This is not the sort of atmosphere that leads to you getting an obnoxious tattoo and upsetting your dad so much he needs to go for a walk. Remember when the Millennials used to get dolphins or butterflies tattooed on them? The Gen Zers just look like they’re about to go out for ice cream.

Pretty quiet. Picture. TikTok/ethannlong_

Very chill vibes. Picture. TikTok/ethannlong_

The creator of the TikTok declared that the quiet street was proof of 2023’s Schoolies being a “flop”. Is he right?

The internet remained staunchly divided on why the event wasn’t going as nuts as usual, but everyone seemed to agree it wasn’t living up to its naughty reputation.

Sure, it is still happening, but it’d be like turning up to see Shannon Noll perform only to find him wearing something other than one of his signature singlets. Still a great show. Just not what we expected.

Are we sure this is Schoolies? Picture: TikTok/ethannlong_

The most common working theory is that the cost of living crisis has dampened the wildness of Schoolies. It is too hard and far, far too expensive to live, laugh, and get inappropriately drunk in these dire times.

“Cost of living crisis? People don’t have the money, and it’s not brain surgery. Let my kid go to Schoolies or mortgage?” someone commented.

The comment section was crammed with people saying that it was harder for parents to send their children to Schoolies.

Plus, it’s harder for young people to “afford” to indulge either – a four-pack of the alcoholic drink Hard Solo comes in around the $20 mark.

The girls are going all out. Picture: TikTok/zaliahjemeljanovs

Is Schoolies still wild? Picture: TikTok/zaliahjemeljanovs

Another popular theory floating around was that young people don’t know how to party as hard these days.

They are too attached to their phones and therefore aren’t as invested in really dancing to whatever Jason Derulo song is blaring.

One commenter said it was proof that Generation Z is “soft now” because they don’t party until 4am.

“Times have changed. It’s not a rager anymore. They either want to travel or sit on socials watching each other,” one user claimed.

Someone shared that people shouldn’t be “surprised” because this generation grew up on TikTok and lived through a pandemic, so they don’t know how to “party”.

While another took the opposite view, arguing this was proof that Gen Z are “mature” and have more brain cells and it was good to see.

One rogue Aussie just wanted to talk about their Schoolies experience, which they claimed went “right off” and involved partying and paying a taxi driver with a lollipop.

Online Schoolies looks very fun. Picture: TikTok/betty_hopwood

Yet it doesn’t look like that fun at the event. Picture: TikTok/betty_hopwood

There could be some truth in the fact that Generation Z come most alive when they are on their phones because while the street looked tame, TikTok is filled with the kind of Schoolies anarchy we all know.

There are girls in tiny outfits doing dances, themed photo nights, jokes about drinking too much and a general party vibe in the air.

Off camera, are Gen Zers unsure how to go wild? Someone call Millennial Corey Worthington; he’d be able to show them.