Many high schoolers believe energy drinks are able to give them more energy, but in reality the caffeine in these drinks can be detrimental to sleep schedules and overall health.
Many energy drinks have large quantities of sugar, giving teenagers the effects of being more energized for a short amount of time. However soon thereafter it will make them more tired.
“There definitely is a little burst [of energy], but then there’s a quick crash and that crash actually feels worse than the level [of energy] you were at before,” said health teacher Catherine Bongo-Liselli.
The amount of caffeine in these drinks is not suitable for teenage brains. It is addictive, and can cause harm to the teenage brain.
“Their brain doesn’t finish developing until they’re around 25 years old and the caffeine really is a stimulant drug, so it over-stimulates the central nervous system. It’s very addictive, and the younger you are when you’re using any type of drug, including caffeine, the deeper the addiction actually becomes,” said health teacher Denise Garcia.
Advertisements target teen athletes who want to play to the best of their ability, but are unaware of the long-term effects.
“It’s even promoted in some ways as being good for athletes or a sports drink and people are looking for it as a quick pick me up,” said Garcia.
In addition to the caffeine and sugar, the flavors make the drink more appealing to high schoolers. Because of this, many high school students aren’t drinking these energy drinks necessarily for the energy, but for the fun flavors.
“I drink them because they taste good. I don’t need the energy,” said freshman Lauralyn C.
There is also a pressure to fit in in high school. Students may see their friends arrive to class with an energy drink in hand, and feel the need to have one too.
“I think it’s more of a fad, and they see everybody else doing it and just think it’s like the thing to do. I don’t even know if most of them are doing it for the energy, it’s just more of trying to fit in, I guess. just because it seems like it’s everybody’s doing it, it must be okay,” said Bongo-Liselli.
There are many alternatives to energy drinks that are a lot healthier for you, such as a protein bar or some fruit with a bottle of water.
“People would be so much better off just [maintaining] a steady energy with the proper amount of sleep, eating good, healthy foods throughout the day, exercising, to kind of generate a healthy real energy rather than trying to imitate it with an energy drink,” said Garcia.◼️
