Bright colored cans, eye-catching names and a promise of pure focus. For teens now, energy drinks are all the rave; they’re popular, relatively cheap and easily accessible. So why are teenagers addicted to caffeine at such a young age?
There’s no one answer. It could be the branding and advertising, the ‘kick’ of caffeine, social media or just the flavor in general. Whatever the case, teenagers are dependent and rely on caffeine.
“I think there are many reasons that a student would have that kind of addiction to energy drinks,” said freshman Amelia Edwards. “One I would say is the trend of them and the popularity. I started drinking caffeine because I saw others drinking Alanis.”
Social media has an infinite amount of influence on people today, especially teens. The normalization of influencers drinking caffeine online and promoting it has been melded into teens’ brains. They’ll go into their local gas stations, see the neon cans that have been advertised to them online, and fall into a cycle of consumption.
“I would say social media is one reason I started drinking Alanis,” said Edwards. “I saw they were becoming a trend so I joined the trend.”
Not only are energy drinks consumed for taste or from advertisement, they are also used as tools for teens to get through their school days. Whether it be a series of important tests in their classes, a pile of homework to do or even a lack of sleep, energy drinks serve as a railing for students to lean on.
“Some people, I think, use them to get through the day if they’re tired,” said sophomore Luci Navarro.
Energy drinks aren’t just helping students, they’re also hurting them. Teens will sleep less because they’ve either had too much caffeine late in the day to power through or they don’t care about getting enough rest if they have a fruity flavor waiting to jolt them awake in the morning.
Relying on caffeine can also become expensive. For example, if a teen buys an energy drink everyday, that’s at least $4-5 spent. The cost will build up and their hard work at their new job will be for nothing because they spent it all relying on caffeine.
Energy drinks could also physically harm someone if they’re more sensitive to caffeine. Chemicals within the blend including taurine and L-carnitine are also a risk factor because they can have effects on teens’ growing metabolism and heart health.
“I have seen my friends feel sick or feel off after drinking even just a few sips,” said Edwards.
Ultimately, there are many reasons teens are addicted to energy drinks. From taste to caffeine kicks to using them as a tool at school, teens are all over energy drinks.
