You wake up every day at six in the morning to get ready for school and rush out the door just to get there on time, so exhausted from all the sports, jobs and homework you had the night before. You sit down in the first period and crack open a bright colored can to get you through the day. Energy drinks become more and more common in schools each day. Why this sudden surge?

“The culture around energy drinks often emphasizes a fast-paced, high-energy lifestyle. As society becomes increasingly driven and busy, energy drinks fit well with the desire for quick solutions to maintain productivity and alertness,” health teacher Jordyn Wolfe said.

Through the use of social media, markets target youth more than ever, but why even drink them? There are hundreds of different types of drinks, but youth tend to lean toward Alani, Celsius and Red Bull.

“I drink energy drinks every day because of the wide variety of flavors, and it helps me to stay focused,” sophomore Izzie Guagenti said. 

They can help students to stay alert and increase cognitive function. The B-vitamins as well as the biotin in many drinks can help increase the health of hair, skin and nails. While all of this sounds great there is more to the story. Energy drinks can often cause more harm than good. Caffeine in youth can lead to an increase in anxiety, mood swings, dehydration and gain in weight. 

“Most energy drinks do not bother me; however, Monster can give me heart pain sometimes,” junior Meadow Tian said. 

They have the ability to have a positive effect on health and are safe to consume, however if you consume more than the recommended amount they can cause extreme harm to your health. As different types of energy drinks continue to gain popularity it is important to stay educated in the different effects they can have on you.