Coffee. The savior of many students and teachers in the morning. Growing up around coffee addicts, I hated coffee; I hated the smell and the taste; I couldn’t stand it. Freshman year? That all changed, the early mornings with some added caffeine. I was all set. But did the caffeine really wake me up? Or, was it the idea that I drank coffee that did so?

Caffeine’s effect on high school students and people, in general, has been disputed for years. According to the University of Pittsburg, three out of four teens drink some sort of caffeine, whether in soda, coffee, or some other way like energy drinks. While some parents and even teachers attempt to stop students from drinking caffeine in which they believe its a disaster to their bodies, the Washington Post, however, in an opinion and research article, found rather than the caffeine being harmful, it is instead how much goes into a kids or young adults body. Everything in life is about proportions. As people in the United States, we as a society don’t have portion control. Many people in the U.S. are either obese or don’t know about proportions. These proportions are mainly what leads to the negative effects of caffeine like being aggressive, having sleep deprivation, or being in a bad mood, which can affect other parts of your body as well if those side effects have been carried out for too long.

However, there are not just negative effects of caffeine – if not taken in moderation – there are good parts as well. According to John Hopkins medical center, many studies have shown that caffeine actually improves your memory rather than harming it as the popular myth is. “We’ve always known that caffeine has cognitive-enhancing effects, but its particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting have never been examined in detail in humans” (Michael Yassa, a professor of psychological and brain sciences). As proven as well coffee, in particular, helps with concentration and with more cognitive abilities than most caffeinated drinks. In reality? It all depends on each person and how their body reacts to caffeine. Some people, rather, don’t need caffeine, and when they do, their body either isn’t used to it or ends up being too overwhelmed by the effect of caffeine itself. When having caffeine, always remember proportions and listen to your body. Listen to your body, it’ll give off more information than you think!

Research:

Site #1 Effect of Caffeine Caffeine’s Effects on Adolescents – SOVA (pitt.edu)

Site #2 Is it okay for Teenagers to drink coffee? Is coffee bad for teenagers? – The Washington Post

Site #5 John Hopkins Research Caffeine Has Positive Effect on Memory | Johns Hopkins Medicine