How many cups does one need? One? Two? Three? Fifteen percent of students today consume coffee in the morning before school and throughout the day according to Centers for Disease Control. Although coffee is proven to have positive and negative effects on people’s health, experts are still debating whether or not it is beneficial towards teenager’s performance in school.
Teenagers are purchasing and consuming more coffee than ever before. In fact, according to the National Coffee Association, the percentage of coffee drinkers ages 18 to 24 grew from 24 to 37 percent from 2002 to 2012. These college-age students consuming coffee often begin to drink it during their high school years.
It can be made with assorted creams, chocolate, and caramel. It can be served hot or ice cold. Coffee has become a popular icon of the teenage culture. However, the consensus on whether or not it is beneficial towards school performance is mixed. According to a study on ncbi.gov, consuming one cup of coffee in the morning can increase both a teenager’s motor skills and attention span, keeping them awake and alert in the classroom. This allows the students to have greater focus in class and will lead to more class participation and higher grades.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, many experts and researchers believe that coffee has a largely negative impact on a teen’s performance in school. According to foodinsight.org, consistent coffee consumers experience a wide range of symptoms when they do not drink their cup of joe in the morning. These include drowsiness, intense irritability, and an overall lack of energy. This goes to show that teens who consume coffee reach a point at which they cannot function without it, leading to a caffeine dependency that is very unstable and harmful to their abilities in school. This is harmful to the student’s performance, as they cannot function properly in class with such a wide variation in energy and alertness levels.
There are two bagel shops within proximity of Massapequa High School. This allows the students to easily purchase coffee. For some, it is a must-have for increased performance in school. “I have been drinking coffee for three years and I find that it helps me focus more in class,” senior Jon Grant said. Jon, who started drinking coffee in ninth grade, has had an increase in his GPA since then. “It allows me to go smoothly through the day while staying attentive in all of my classes,” he said. In some ways, consuming coffee is a great way for teens who have trouble waking up in the morning to get a boost. Not to mention, it is a much healthier alternative to energy drinks. That is, of course, when it is not filled with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Jon also said, “Whenever I don’t drink coffee, mostly when I don’t have time, I become very sluggish and I have no energy whatsoever.” What this shows is that coffee consumers develop a caffeine dependency, and when they do not get their fill, they struggle. This is a problem for a teenager trying to get a good education.
Coffee can also wreak havoc on teens. Drinking coffee in the morning may cause some students to become hyperactive, which will actually lower their attention span and cause anxiety to skyrocket. “I chose not to drink coffee in the morning after a few bad experiences.
It causes me to become overwhelmed with energy and then crash in the afternoon,” senior Tom Whalen said. Tom, a student who does not consume coffee, is a principal’s list student and an avid lacrosse player. “In the morning, I can’t keep my eyes on the board due to the energy.” It is also possible that coffee might just affect people differently than others.
There are too many variables to coffee to give a concise answer as to its effects on school performance. It is possible that some teens can handle the intense caffeine levels and some can not. Some teens may need the boost in the morning due to a lack of energy, while others may be energetic in the morning and do not need it. Teens who like to add whipped cream and chocolate into their coffee may simply have performance issues due to the severe sugar rush, and not the coffee itself. It is not easy to come to an accurate conclusion over this topic, but one thing is sure: coffee impacts all individuals differently, and it is up to each student to determine whether coffee is impacting him negatively or not.