“Generation C?”

Can you feel that? That is my desk shaking at about 10:30 am after a 24 oz. large hazelnut coffee with cream from <insert popular chain> that sends me into superwoman mode where my job just can’t keep up. I admit that the warm morning beverage is a comfort food. I don’t have to have it, and honestly I have worked many mornings without it…though not during recruitment <insert understanding smile>.

Its container is often a status symbol filled with a complex recipe that gives you the pick-me-up for about $5 each morning. And what else have we now become very aware of? The fact that caffeine is not just for the tough mornings. It is not just available in our favorite fizzy pop from the vending machine. It is now in a much more potent product, the energy drink.

I saw a news article this week that spawned many more stories about the country’s children consuming large amounts of these drinks for an energy high. Who are we to stop them, we are drinking them too! (Well, not me because I’m afraid that my heart will explode.)

These products are full of sugar and caffeine that can overstimulate them further, causing insomnia that leads to fatigue. And we are aware that this comes at a high calorie cost as well, contributing to obsesity in children. The packaging is cool. Everyone is drinking it. And plus, it tastes good. So, how do we expect our children to avoid it if we can’t? New trends in socialization for children involve birthday parties and sleepovers with energy drinks at the center of the entertainment. Our children are drinking non-alcoholic legal beverages to create a lasting buzz and hours of fun. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Is the boost worth the extra calories, high blood pressure, and inevitable crash? Or can you live with increased reaction time, improved short term memory, and the 2 pm pick-me-up? That is for you to decide…I just want you to know.

In moderation, various studies have proven that caffeine can be an asset for production, improved memory function, and a reduction in stress. While clearly, the caffiene-loaded energy drinks can cause overstimulation that in some cases may have led to hospitalizations and even death.

Even if we can’t kick the habit or simply refuse to develop one, we can agree that we need to monitor its consumption by the youngest generations. If not for the need for them to sleep at some point, but perhaps for their health and the healthy future of our families and our country.

Live on Purpose, and Live Sigma Kappa.

Courtney