Teens are tired of being tired

On a typical morning, many students walk into Mounds View with their favorite iced coffee. Others line up at Mustang Mocha for their daily fix, and all throughout the day, students carry the colorful can of an energy drink through the hallways. The popularity of caffeinated drinks at Mounds View ties into a growing, national trend. In fact, caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world, with over 83% of adolescents drinking it on a regular basis, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic. With so many teens consuming caffeine, one might wonder why it has become so popular among high school students.

When looking at trends of caffeine consumption in teens, overall caffeine intake has not risen. However, a 2014 study by the CDC found that, from 1999 to 2010, while soda consumption decreased, teenagers’ intake of caffeine from coffee and energy drinks increased.

The rise in coffee and energy drink consumption stands true in Mounds View. A poll of 82 Mounds View students found that 74% started drinking caffeine regularly before the age of 15. In contrast, among the 31 teachers surveyed, only 65% reported regular caffeine intake before 15.

Some students hopped on the caffeine trend because of peer pressure or social media. Influencers who show off their homemade morning coffee or Starbucks drink on YouTube or Instagram inspire fans to consume these drinks as well. “I used to watch Emma Chamberlain videos and she would drink a bunch of coffee, and then I was like, that looks kind of good. So I would make them myself,” said junior Maddie Thyren. 

More often, however, students start drinking caffeine because they want to experience an energy boost. Many students do not get the recommended amount of eight to ten hours of sleep per night. For some, it becomes easier to down an energy drink than to have a healthy sleep schedule. “I stay up really late and then I wake up in the morning, [and] I’m like, ‘[I need] coffee.’ It’s kind of my savior,” said senior Ben Hagel. 

 Because of the demands of high school, students believe they need caffeine to feel motivated enough to get out of bed and do their schoolwork later on. “If I didn’t have coffee in the morning, then I [would drink] some in the afternoon to wake me up to [do] my homework,” said senior Natalie Gimm. “I don’t know how much that worked, but it’s kind of like a placebo effect.” 

Interestingly, some students say that they drink less coffee on the weekends or during the summer. “I wouldn’t drink it on the weekend, so it was like my ‘gotta get up for school’ kind of thing,” said Gimm. In fact, some students use summer break to take a break from their caffeine addiction. “During finals […] I definitely want it a lot more […] so especially after the school is over and [I’m] done with AP tests, [… I want to] be done with [caffeine] for a while,” said Hagel.

 Despite a reliance on caffeine as an energy boost, some people also like the taste and see no reason to quit. “[If I don’t drink caffeine,] I just don’t get to enjoy the flavor,” said Thyren. “I really just drink caffeine or things like for the flavor — because I think it tastes good.” Others, like Science Teacher Jessica Espy, enjoy the emotional benefits of caffeine. “[Coffee] kind of brings [me] joy and happiness and warm feelings,” she said. 

These happy feelings also come from caffeine’s social aspect. Coffee shops are very common places for students to study together, socialize with friends and share their favorite drinks. In the case of Gimm, coffee allowed her to better connect with her sister.  “[She was] like, we should have a cup of coffee sometime,” said Gimm. “So it was […] a way to interact with people.” 

In the end, whether caffeine is used to socialize or boost teens’ energy, it seems as though its popularity is only growing. “There are definitely a lot more students drinking coffee than I remember [in] my high school,” said Espy. The benefits of caffeine continue to motivate students to consume these beverages.