Are We Too Thirsty? Ian McEwan Slams ‘Deranged’ Water-Bottle Culture

Booker prize–winner Ian McEwan has criticised the modern obsession with carrying water bottles, calling it «deranged» during a talk at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

«Thirty years ago, nobody had bottles of water… Suddenly we were persuaded you can’t go 10 minutes without being thirsty,» he said, lamenting the surge of single-use plastics and status-symbol flasks.

The comments tap into a booming hydration trend led by Gen Z and millennials, fuelled by social media movements like #WaterTok and the viral rise of Stanley cups, whose sales exploded after a 2023 video showed one surviving a car fire, with ice intact.

Health bodies agree hydration matters but note fluids can include tea, coffee, juice and foods like soup and fruit; recommended intake varies by age, activity and climate. Critics argue the culture has turned drinking water into a lifestyle performance, complete with pricey accessories and «routines».

For many fans, oversised reusable bottles are a practical nudge to drink more and cut waste. For sceptics, they’re emblematic of how small habits become identity, and commerce, overwritten by social media.