Forget champagne and confetti — this New Year’s Eve, Americans would rather Netflix and chill.
According to a survey of 3,000 people by social app Sunny, just 24% want to ring in 2026 surrounded by friends and loved ones — or any people at all.
A whopping 35% plan to stay home and stream the “Stranger Things” finale, for example, 20% are hitting the hay early, and 10% will be scrolling social media as the ball drops.
How much do we hate going out in 2025? One in four respondents said they’d rather visit the dentist than party, and one in five actually insisted they’d prefer getting a root canal to a night out. Ouch.
When it comes to party poopers, those out West lead the pack — only 26% say they want to party. Phoenix takes the crown — only 15% are down for NYE fun.
Gen Z appears to be bucking the stay-at-home trend — 36% of the youngest adults say they’re completely jazzed about making the scene on Dec. 31. Everyone else? Not so much.
What’s to blame? Our growing obsession with screens, survey authors said.
“We’re evolving from social primates into screen mammals, and New Year’s Eve shows it most starkly,” explained psychologist Dr. Iain Smith, head of behavioral science at Sunny.
The result, he said, is a “party deficit.”
“But America isn’t just losing its appetite for parties,” he said. “It’s losing its social muscle.”
As previously reported by The Post, the traditional reason to brave the cold and crowds — the Times Square ball drop — is getting a major glow-up this year.
The new Constellation Ball will be the largest ever, weighing over 12,300 pounds and adorned with 5,280 sparkling Waterford crystals, nearly double the old ball.
For the first time, visitors can even touch the ball and watch as it swaps out crystals, while sending a personalized Morse code message as part of the new Premium Ball Experience.
The building housing the ball, One Times Square, has also undergone one of the largest renovations in its history.
Guests can get sugar fixes at iCandy, learn about the many lives of the famed address through interactive exhibits, and even walk on a glass balcony for river-to-river views.
Wedding packages, observation decks, and outdoor terraces offer plenty of ways to celebrate — or just pretend you’re in the crowd without the hassle of elbowing strangers.
“The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball represents hope, unity and new beginnings,” said Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance.
“It will be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood… providing new and innovative experiences to the hundreds of thousands of people who come through Times Square each day.”
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