Often considered a harmless pick-me-up, caffeine poses potential risks to the well-being and academic performance of students across the nation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that roughly 73 percent of teenagers consume caffeine in a number of forms, mostly through coffee, energy drinks and sodas. According to the study, high school students should cap their caffeine intake at about 100 mg (the equivalent of about one cup of coffee), but the average high school student consumes between 200-300 mg per day.
While caffeine consumption, like a cup of coffee in the morning to wake you up before school, has appeared to be increasingly normalized, experts warn that excessive caffeine intake can lead to a myriad of issues for adolescents, ranging from disrupted sleep patterns to increased anxiety levels.
A recent study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine shows that students who consume caffeine wake up later in the morning on school days. The study links such late wakeups with decreased academic productivity and in turn, students’ receiving lower grade-point averages (GPA).
Additionally, caffeine has proven itself to be a highly addictive substance. VeryWell Health reports that caffeine triggers pleasure circuits in the brain’s reward system. It gives your brain a burst of dopamine (the happy hormone). This is the same process that leads to drug addiction. After about one to two days without their morning kick of caffeine, adolescents tend to show symptoms of withdrawal, leading to focusing issues in the classroom. Such symptoms include trouble concentrating, difficulty completing tasks, irritability, anxiety and impaired psychomotor and cognitive performance.
“I’ve noticed an uptick in students complaining of difficulty concentrating and heightened stress levels,” Activities Director Michelle Russell said. “Many are unaware that their caffeine habits might be contributing to these challenges.”
The average human brain grows from adolescence well into a student’s mid-twenties. Dr. Reto Huber, a sleep expert at the University of Zurich, found that caffeine impacts development by disrupting the formation of key connections in the brain that occur mainly throughout an individual’s high school years.
In efforts to ensure healthy brain development and academic success, students should avoid excessive caffeine consumption or cut it out of their daily diet. Limiting to one cup of coffee or soda a day would be the first step.
“I found out a few years ago how truly dangerous drinking so much coffee could be for my health and success,” senior Maya Sternberg said. “Ever since, I have nearly eliminated caffeine from my diet entirely. It took months to completely get used to, but I have never felt so good.”
As we navigate through the bustling world of high school, it’s crucial to be mindful of the choices we make. The seemingly harmless caffeine buzz might be concealing potential dangers that could impact not only our academic performance but our overall well-being.