By Taylor Domson

A cup of coffee. A glass of sweet tea. A cold Diet Coke. An energy drink—Bang, Monster, or perhaps the newly popular Celsius brand. All these beverages contain caffeine. How else do these drinks exhibit unity, one might ask? Their presence in the hands of growing teenagers everywhere. 

The caffeine epidemic is spreading, exerting an influence on American teenagers so pervasive it oftentimes warrants the casually thrown-around word addiction. Although the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that caffeine is not an addictive drug, it can create a reliance that mimics addiction’s warning signs. For high schoolers especially, its energized presence is explicit via Starbucks and Dunkin’ cups, Celsius cans, and tumblers containing home-brewed beverages. As students walk into AP classes, they swipe away tired eyes in favor of sips of hot coffee.

A junior holds a coffee tumblr bearing the Dunkin’ logo.

At its most basic level, caffeine is a stimulant—it increases alertness and general awareness, exciting the central nervous system. Many teens and adults everywhere use such properties to kickstart their morning routines. They often overlook possible side effects, such as restlessness, gastric discomfort, and body twitches, in favor of faster reaction times and heightened focus. Some individuals, however, simply drink caffeinated beverages for their taste. In fact, my mother Allison Domson claims, “I don’t drink [iced tea] for the caffeine … I just got into the habit … in law school.” A.C. Arendale (‘23) also says, “I really like the taste.” Many individuals don’t consciously avoid or prioritize caffeine in their diets, but it is clearly influential.

Upon consumption of caffeine, the brain releases dopamine, a pleasure neurotransmitter. Caffeine is one of the only psychoactive drugs that’s both legal and widely marketed in foods and beverages—even to small children. Young minds crave cerebral development and mental connection, but caffeine has been proven to prolong such processes, effectively stunting adolescent growth. Just as it exhibits long-term effects, its immediate side effects upon its user are explicit. 

Even as caffeine is said to decreases suicide risk by 45% and has even been associated with minimized risk of dementia, its withdrawal symptoms are serious. Individuals can potentially experience tremors, anxiety, general irritability, and the infamous headache. Many teenagers can attest to such withdrawal, as Bowen Suro (‘23) admits, “I feel extremely tired, I can’t focus, and I have occasional headaches” after not having drunk caffeine.

Still, caffeine’s ability to stimulate focus may simply be a result of the Expectancy Effect. Individuals drink caffeine for its energy-inducing properties, but they only experience such a spike in focus due to their expectation it will occur. In fact, although caffeine increases alertness, it only does so by a limited margin, perhaps exhibiting its major magic in manifested dependency from its user.

Just as caffeine bears mental side effects, it also stimulates changes in the physical body—both beneficial and detrimental. In a surprising feat, caffeine is often connected to a lower risk of oral or throat cancers. Even so, its byproduct of excitement can overwhelm the body. As caffeine’s properties infiltrate the body, its user often experiences an energy boost via a quickened heartbeat and possible arrhythmias. Its acidic properties may induce heartburn, or even heightened blood pressure. Caffeine’s properties can incrementally weaken the bones over time (osteoporosis) by way of interfering with calcium’s path through the body. For those who are not accustomed to caffeine consumption, the drug can cause jitters and a generally unsteady demeanor. In excess, caffeine can even cause nausea, vomiting, gastric discomfort, and bladder instability. 

For women seeking to have children, caffeine has also been connected to both fertility and pregnancy issues. When women are both trying for pregnancy and experiencing pregnancy, it’s recommended that they consume no more than 200-300 mg of caffeine per day. Research has revealed caffeine’s ability to stunt fetal growth, as well as its association with miscarriages and possible birth defects. Despite these (mostly) mild side effects, time allows caffeine dependency to blossom, forcing its victims into a vicious cycle.

A Collegiate junior happily clutching her morning coffee cup.

Although such a drug exhibits a profound effect on the general population, our current society has thrust its “benefits” into the hands of the growing teenage population. Even when it causes sleep deprivation, Georgia McManus (‘23) boldly admits that when she doesn’t consume caffeine, “I get rabid,” and “it helps me concentrate.” Many students, especially upperclassmen at Collegiate, walk into school with their preferred agent of caffeine almost every day. Although caffeine cannot explicitly cause addiction, its grip of user dependency is visible throughout the Upper School. S.B. Neese (‘23) “drink[s] 2-3 cups of coffee every day.” When she lacks the time for her daily brew, she’s “tired.” When probed for further comment, she confessed, “I only had one cup today, and I was struggling to stay awake in the majority of my classes. I could feel my eyelids drooping down.” For some students, caffeine may simply be a preferred stimulant in their daily routine, but for others, it’s a product of necessity.

For my volleyball teammate Brooke Eslinger, a junior at Midlothian High School, Coca-Cola is a crucial part of not just her morning routine, but of her life on a broader scale. So integrated is the sugary beverage into her bloodstream that she admits, “I’m always used to the feeling of having drunk Coke—I know no other way.” Even at competitive tournaments, she can be seen gulping Coca-Cola on the sidelines, or when her preferred agent of caffeine is unavailable, a dreaded Pepsi. She inevitably associates Coke with “happiness” and ceases to function properly without it. Just recently at volleyball practice, after only having drank one Coca-Cola, she admitted to feeling fatigued and uncomfortable. In a team huddle, she acknowledged “my head is pounding” and “I’m addicted.” Although frighteningly aware of her obsession with Coca-Cola, Eslinger eagerly drinks it every day. Many teenagers like Eslinger wear their caffeine dependence as a badge of honor, relating to many of their peers with the same habits.

Recent research also illustrates spikes in the consumption of energy drinks and coffee among growing adolescents. In fact, ¾ of children consume some agent of caffeine every day. Such a change in teen diet has kickstarted caffeine research for the growing teenage population. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not released caffeine recommendations for teenagers, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against its use in teen life. Since the drug can interfere with sleep, elicit strong mood swings, and generally change a teen’s awareness of their own tiredness, the drug has entered a realm of questioning. Still, there is no official consensus recommendation for caffeine intake for teenagers. 

Caffeine’s role in teen diet is oftentimes accompanied by sugar and processed carbohydrates. Indeed, Eslinger’s reliance on Coca-Cola may cause bodily detriment due to sugar content, not just caffeine. One Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar, approximately 13% of the recommended daily intake. If Eslinger continues to consume “five Cokes a day,” she will receive more than half of her recommended sugars from a processed carbonated beverage, discounting natural carbohydrates from fruits and other foods. Indeed, Coca-Cola may pose more threats via its sugar, not its caffeine. Excess consumption of sugar can cause type 2 diabetes, mood disorders, tooth decay, and the primary risk factors for heart attacks. Still, when Eslinger “gets really bad headaches and just craves [Coke] all the time,” caffeine is the evident perpetrator of such pain.

A junior student trying a Starbuck’s low-caffeine beverage—a kiwi dragonfruit refresher.

Caffeine dependency is evident, yet its origin is not so explicit. Why are teens consuming so much caffeine? I, myself, originally began to drink coffee due to peer recommendation. Now, as a junior in high school, I often use it as a reward, after a long night of homework assignments or before an early club/council meeting. In addition, I often study at cafés and local coffee shops to complete assignments and projects. Perhaps coffee is simply a side effect of that studying. In fact, S.B. Neese (‘23) says “that’s how I found myself drinking coffee,” and “it’s a habit from school.” Perhaps, teens seek caffeine as an elixir guaranteed to combat sleep deprivation. They desire the drug’s accompanying spike in energy, turning a blind eye to its nutritional drawbacks.

High school is stressful. Maintaining a social life is strenuous. Attaining two sports credits, possibly working a job, and nurturing steady mental health throughout high school is a considerable challenge. Many students, it seems, turn to caffeine as an aid. Whether caffeine serves as a sweet reward, a necessary morning pick-me-up, or an occasional helper in late-night studying, its presence is overwhelmingly associated with and sourced back to academics. In fact, A.C. Arendale (‘23) admits “after a late night of studying, I need it. It really helps me.” In the face of academic stress and anxiety, students reach for the comfort caffeine provides. So then, how much stress are high school students truly facing?

Based on a 2013 survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, 40% of parents attribute stress levels in their children to school. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools imposed more restrictions on student life in the name of safety. Masked learning, outdoor lunch periods in 35°F weather, and social distancing at school dances dimmed the light that school activities once shined on students.

As the world begins to exit the tunnel of COVID-19 limitations, however, it’s interesting to analyze the remaining signs of teenage stress. Now freed of former pandemic policies, the teenage population’s persistent dependency on caffeine can only be attributed to so many things, and school work remains an extremely likely candidate. 

In fact, research reveals that students now are pushing themselves more than their historic counterparts did in high school. The National Center for Education Statistics produced a 2009 study that compared contemporary high school seniors’ 27.2 credit average to the 23.6 credit average of a 1990’s group of students. High school now demands more than it ever did from its students. This may be in part that “college is more competitive than ever, as is the job market,” as addressed by Business Insider’s Abby Rogers. My mother—a 1996 University of Virginia graduate—often laments, “I wouldn’t have gotten into UVA today. Times are different now. It’s much harder for you guys.”

A volleyball teammate about to slug down a Celsius energy drink before practice.

When academic stress was minimal, did high schoolers still rely on coffee and energy drinks? My mother remembers no such thing from her 1990’s adolescence. She recalls “Starbucks and Dunkin’ weren’t a big thing back then … I don’t really remember craving coffee at all. It was just something my parents drank every morning.” Similarly, Upper School Spanish teacher Esperanza Soria-Nieto says, “I started to drink coffee at the end of college … socially.” It served not as a combatant against sleepiness, but a beverage that often accompanied free time with friends. 

So, there is a correlation between caffeine and teenage academic stress. As students face the grunt work of junior and senior year classes, they’re using caffeine as a mechanism of support. My mother confirms, “we use it as a crutch, since it’s such a big part of our daily routines.” Caffeine now serves as the tool that many sleep-deprived teens crave for success. Many, however, consciously avoid excess caffeine.

To combat dependence, many seek caffeine substitutes and healthy alternatives. Registered dietician Carlene Thomas recommends berries, nuts, peppermint tea, and other natural elixirs and vitamins to curb cravings for caffeine. Still, when my father eliminated caffeine from his diet last month, he “had no substitute—just withdrawal headaches at around 10:00 a.m. for two weeks.” Despite its reign in many individuals’ lives, caffeine’s grip relents after limited withdrawal. Most individuals can wean themselves off of the drug using ibuprofen and basic self-control.

In fact, many Collegiate students refrain from drinking caffeine at all. Virginia Ballowe (‘23) admits “if [caffeine] helps [other students], great” but she has “never tried coffee.” She understands the risk of potential dependence and does not want to expose herself to such harm. Still, it is hard to miss that which one has never experienced before. Is that where the answer lies? Should parents exert limits on caffeine consumption for their children? Should students maintain better self-control? Should the school system foster a more supportive environment? 

Questions linger, and the conversation continues as health authorities are hesitant to publish concrete instructions concerning caffeine. With limited sources curbing teen consumption, then, the caffeine craze will continue to spread. Group discussion over coffee may help.

All photos by Taylor Domson, unless otherwise noted.

Featured image credit: Piquels.