Celsius. Alani Nu. Red Bull. Monster. Bubbl’r. Bloom Energy. I’m sure almost any teenager could say what these brands sell the moment they hear their names: energy drinks.
As the popularity of energy drinks rises, students might see their peers carrying around one of these cans every single day. As teens’ stress and exhaustion seem to grow each year so does their consumption of energy drinks. Many seek a quick and easy solution to their tiredness that can be so easily resolved by cracking open a tall, 16-ounce can. Whether it is late-night cram studying for a test that is the next day, a late night that affects how well the shift at work will go in the morning, or a sports game where you just need a little help keeping up in the second half, these problems are all seemingly solved by the caffeine and sugar in the drinks. And, because of the artificial flavoring, anyone who does not like the flavor of coffee has the same access to caffeine, as energy drinks can contain anywhere from 55-300 milligrams of caffeine. A grande coffee roast at Starbucks contains anywhere from 150-410 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the roast. This craze of easily accessible and tasty energy soon sparked the slogan that teenage girls on TikTok use jokingly: “heart attack season.”
The basic variation of this phrase is simply exam season for school. As students begin needing to stay up later and later to study and prepare for their exams, many are pulled in by the gravity of the benefits of energy drinks. There are many variations of this short phrase, with many teens joking in their videos about “the way heart attack speaks to me” as they hold up an empty can of one of the name brands.
Although the trend itself is not harmful, the message that it sends is that is not great. Seeing other people the same age as you have an energy drink sometimes daily has become a cultural norm for our generation. Since Gen Z has become teenagers and young adults, there has been a sharp increase in energy drink sales. And, as students are getting jobs and cars, they have constant access to these addicting drinks.
I personally believe that more than two to three energy drinks a week are too much. Although this is a controversial opinion among many of my peers, I think it is important to recognize the side effects that too many energy drinks can bring. Many teens, after a large amount of energy drinks in a short time, experience all sorts of side effects.
The range is wide, from headaches, increased anxiety, and tremors to more serious things like addiction, insomnia, and, just like the TikTok phrase jokes, heart attacks.
Even though I am a strong believer that an energy drink a day will affect you badly in the long run, I still think they have their benefits. The short boost of energy is helpful for sports or studying, and many of the flavors have me hoping that there might be a soda version made, so I don’t have to drink so much caffeine to taste them.
The main thing to remember is that although they might taste good, and the short-term effects might be manageable, long-term effects are something that many teens forget to think about. They forget that the joke about “heart attack season” coming up, might be far more dangerous than we could have ever imagined.
