Highschoolers increase the rate of harming themselves each year; some by drinking, others by texting while driving, but this year, it is energy drinks.

Teens are filled with activity everyday. With a majority of their day focused on six to ten different classes, they have to focus on staying awake and gathering information from different subjects. They also stay entertained with sports and other hobbies, which they need energy for too.

Student athletes need to stay awake and participate in every drill to perform at the top of their ability. Students buy energy drinks to wake themselves up and start the say with a more energetic attitude. Some students rely on energy drinks to help them survive the day.

Many try to offset the lack of sleep they are getting which harms the body in two ways in this situation. One by not getting enough sleep and the other by drinking energy drinks. Some students may sleep with their phones beside their bed, with a television in their room, and other electronics which impacts their ability to get enough rest. They become too time consumed in these electronic devices that they don’t realize how bad this addiction gets.

Current student at St Joseph High School, Murphy Wiginton, explains that he drinks energy drinks “because of the lack of sleep I’m getting from all of the homework and sports I get from school.” He gets so caught up with activities and schoolwork that he has to sacrifice sleep, which then he relies on energy drinks to get him through the day.

Energy drinks can harm the teenage body because is it “increases your heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, sleep problems, headaches, and dehydration,” according to Sharp Health. This is due to the excessive caffeine that can be harmful to teenagers.

One way we can stop these problems is getting enough sleep. We can charge our phones and computers outside the room so we’re not tempted to get on them. Another way is getting your schoolwork done in time. Instead of waiting until the last minute, you can use class time to work on it, do your homework in study hall, or when you get home from school. There are many ways to stop this addiction, you just have to notice it and do something about it.