Stuyvesant’s Caffeine Culture

Caffeine is ubiquitous at Stuyvesant. Everyone has at least one friend who has mastered the technique of sneaking in an iced coffee past the security guards on the bridge. Perhaps your friends regularly fill their thermoses up with their favorite brew before their first period class or have a cup of green tea before school. It is pretty obvious why caffeine is so popular, as a lack of sleep is endemic at Stuyvesant (and among high schoolers in general). Unless you are willing to sleep in class at the risk of your grade, caffeine is your best bet to getting through the day.

In a survey sent out to the student body with 83 responses, just under 70 percent of students say they consume caffeine. It is possible that this number was skewed in either direction as students knew that this survey was about caffeine. Among the non-caffeine drinkers, while the number one reason for not consuming caffeine is a dislike for the taste of tea or coffee (54 percent agreed), around 50 percent stated that they did not consume any drink containing caffeine because they thought caffeine is unhealthy. Forty-five percent of caffeine consumers agreed it was unhealthy.

The biggest concern, though, was about caffeine being addictive. "Caffeine is a drug, and like other drugs, it can be highly addictive and change one's behaviors,” sophomore Jonah Keller wrote. “It is unbeknownst to me whether this behavioral switch is for the better or worse, but I hope my peers understand the possible effects of consuming such beverages.” However, only 24.1 percent of caffeine consumers said they felt dependent on caffeine. Of course, students do not always realize when they are addicted to a substance.

While caffeine is not the most dangerous stimulant people use, there are some serious side effects to caffeine usage, especially among teenagers. Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, which occurs among people who regularly consume caffeine and abruptly stop, include headaches, irritability, and a lack of concentration. According to a 2004 Johns Hopkins study, even stopping a one-cup-a-day habit can quickly lead to trouble. Caffeine withdrawal pales in comparison to other drug withdrawal effects, however. Plus, if someone wants to quit caffeine, gradually consuming less coffee each day is an easy way to quit without feeling the side effects of withdrawal. Because of this lack of significant dependence, caffeine can not really be called an addictive substance.

Research is still inconclusive about the exact effects of caffeine on teenagers. First of all, no research has shown that caffeine stunts your growth (unlike what our parents tell us), but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting consumption to 100 milligrams a day, which is around one cup of coffee. Sleep is critical for teenagers, and consuming too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, along with anxiety, restlessness, nausea, and fast heartbeat, according to Mayo Clinic. Too much caffeine can also limit brain growth over time and lead to osteoporosis (the breaking down of bones). However, in general, if one follows the suggested intake limit and does not have any underlying heart conditions, there are no clear risks of consuming caffeine.

Most Stuyvesant students appear to follow these criteria, as only 20 percent of students report drinking more than one cup of coffee a day. However, many students still reported caffeine overconsumption or withdrawal. As one anonymous student wrote, "I’ve been caffeine-dependent, and it was awful. I drank coffee every day for a while and then skipped a day, and I had such an awful headache. Tylenol didn’t help, and I was really shaky so then I stopped drinking as much coffee."

"Stuy[vesant] kids prioritize coffee too much. Kids will come late to class because they had to get coffee, which just undermines its purpose to keep you awake in class if you’re not even in class,” an anonymous student wrote. “I realized coffee addictions are the least of everyone’s problems when a kid in my Spanish class pulled out a large can of Monster.” In fact, 3.4 percent of caffeine consumers reported they drink energy drinks, while 81 percent drink coffee and 67.2 percent drink tea.

Among Stuyvesant students, there seems to be a difference in how caffeine is consumed. While energy drinks are seen as unhealthy, caffeinated tea is healthy, and coffee is somewhere in the middle. Another anonymous student said, “You can’t put tea and coffee in the same bunch.” Freshman Victor Veytsman wrote in an e-mail interview, "Tea is a great alternative to coffee because it has less caffeine and has more health benefits. I started drinking tea because of my parents, but now I drink it because I like the taste and because it helps me get up in the morning. Tea gives me some energy when I need to focus. I've heard too many bad things about coffee's addictiveness to try it.”

Green tea, which is celebrated for its health benefits, is the most popular tea at Stuyvesant. Iced coffee, especially those from Ferry's or the breakfast cart, is Stuyvesant's coffee of choice. An anonymous student summed this up with the following: “Coffee, pungent or luscious as you may be, / [is] the temporary release from / the confines of sleep-deprived insanity.” This represents how Stuyvesant's caffeine culture mostly centers around being able to power through morning classes after just a few hours of sleep. There is a social element to caffeine culture as well: students often meet up with friends at the coffee cart.

While there are risks to consuming caffeine, it is clear that Stuyvesant’s culture would be very different without it. So, enjoy your green tea or iced coffee from Ferry’s before your physics double period without shame, and don’t be afraid to go with your friends to Starbucks or a niche tea shop after school.