Every day, approximately 90% of Americans consume caffeine, making it our country’s most popular drug. From coffee and tea to innovative energy drinks, caffeine consumption has become an epidemic. With high school students being some of its top consumers, caffeine is influencing academic performance, as it has an effect on students’ attention and sleep habits.
SHS senior Emma Braun is an avid caffeine user, typically consuming between two to three caffeinated drinks per day. Over time, Braun has established a schedule that helps her “get through a long day.” She starts her mornings with a venti-sized coffee at around 8:00 AM, an hour after she wakes up. Braun said many of her favorite coffees come from the local Starbucks in Cohasset. Between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, she usually enjoys a mid-day Celsius, an energy drink containing 200mg of caffeine per can. Finally, at the end of a long school day, she tries to avoid further caffeine consumption. However, she occasionally enjoys a second cup of coffee or sugar-free Red Bull around 3:00 PM in anticipation of her many after-school activities.
Despite the significant amount of caffeine Braun consumes, she does not believe it affects her sleep schedule as she has become “desensitized” to its effects over time. She reports getting around five or six hours of sleep on weekdays and around seven on weekends. Braun is known to be creative and dedicated to her work at SHS. According to Braun, caffeine helps her stay awake, focused, and motivated in school, contributing to her excellent academic performance. Braun has considered cutting back on her caffeine intake, but for now, she plans to take advantage of its positive effects rather than worry about the negatives.
SHS junior Maddie Quirk does not drink any caffeine. Quirk reports disliking the taste of caffeine and has, therefore, avoided it throughout high school. Getting around seven hours of sleep on weeknights and eight hours of sleep on weekends, Quirk said she feels “very alert” at school. Nevertheless, Quirk occasionally feels more tired than some of her friends who drink caffeine. However, she still said no when asked if she would drink caffeine in extreme cases to energize herself.
To get another perspective, science teacher Jennifer Last was asked about her thoughts on student caffeine consumption. She noted that SHS follows the Osha Guidelines, a set of regulations that prohibits food items and drinks from being in science classrooms, which helps ensure student safety as well as viable lab results. Last promotes these guidelines and requires students to place their drinks away from the lab tables. Throughout her 15 years of teaching at SHS, she has noticed a gradual increase in caffeine usage, especially after enforcing the Osha regulations.
Both in and out of the classroom, Last has noticed the stress and panic in her students when they do not have their caffeinated drinks. She believes caffeine has become a cultural aspect of our world today. Do we drink coffee because we genuinely need to, or is it because everyone around us has coffee? Furthermore, why are high school girls seen with caffeinated beverages more frequently than boys?
This leads to a compelling question: Is caffeine addicting, or is it just a habit? Braun, Quirk, and Last all believe caffeine is addicting. Yet, Last argues that despite its addictive properties, students think they need these drinks more than they actually do. With an extensive science background, Last explained the biological response: “Caffeine is a stimulant [overactivating] pathways. Without it, there is a down effect–you lose that stimulation and want it more. [This] creates addiction, and once you [establish] that feeling of wanting something, it can lead to wants or needs of drugs, alcohol, or other supplements.”
Intrigued by the topic, Last said she might consider conducting an experiment to evaluate student performance based on caffeine intake. Despite the many variables that would need to be considered, the experiment could include comparing test scores after a week of caffeine intake to a week of no caffeine whatsoever.