There are many times when teenagers and adults tend to get addicted or consume caffeine without realizing it.  But in a variety of ways caffeine can be consumed through drinks, food, and other means that allow us to become dependent on this common chemical. But, we still allow ourselves to consume the variety of chemicals it may endure in the human central nervous system and abdominal areas. So, today I am at The College Academy to see how caffeine has impacted or can impact to high school students and gain information from teachers that may expand their strategies when caffeine can be used in their daily lives.

How does caffeine affect your mental health?

 “It could affect your mental health because it could reduce your sleep it could boost your energy. But, also if you don’t have it your mood could change.” 

Do you think caffeine affects your academic performance academically?

“ In my opinion, I think it doesn’t because well I mean for me it boost up my energy and it keeps me motivated to do my things.”

 What causes caffeine to make you feel more motivated? 

“ Well for me, it gets to me in like 10 minutes and then it gives you like a good feeling and then out of nowhere, I start doing my work, paying, and paying attention.” 

 If caffeine is banned, would you still allow yourself to drink it? Or continue the process of doing so?

“ Definetly yes! I would look for other brands, but I would still drink it.” 

Moving forward I interviewed Nefertari Gomez who is a senior at the College Academy and was pleased to discuss her experience with caffeine.

How does caffeine affect your mental health?

” Mostly, it happens to many people that when they drink a lot of coffee, they are scared of what sleep is and they do not rest or they feel very imperative. What has an effect is that you are always tired because, when you drink a lot of coffee at night, that is when it keeps you awake. Personally,  It doesn’t keep me awake, but what it does is it starts to take away your energy and you can’t rest well.”

Do you think caffeine affects your academic performance academically?

” No, for me is not really affected by my academics, because I have been drinking coffee for a long time. So, I mostly take it at night and in the morning when I get up, it really doesn’t have any effect on me. I mean NOTHING.”

 What causes caffeine to make you feel more motivated? 

” No, it’s like realistically coffee for me is like drinking a juice and does not cause you any effects.”

If caffeine is banned, would you still allow yourself to drink it? Or continue the process of doing so?

“No, because I am not that dependent I only take it in the morning and at night, and if there isn’t then it’s normal. I mean, it doesn’t affect me.

In order to get a variety of opinions between two of The College Academy students  and teachers on their opinions with caffeine. I wanted to go in-depth about what causes caffeine to have a reaction and how other adults may handle it.

How has caffeine affected your ability to learn or focus on important priorities? 

“I am actually not affected by caffeine at all. So, when I was a kid if I would drink soda or something sweet I wouldn’t make me hyper. As an adult, if I drink coffee it doesn’t wake me up and it doesn’t prevent me from falling asleep.” 

Is caffeine beneficial in certain times of the day?

“As someone who is not really affected by caffeine, for me no. But, I see what it does for other people, so like my co – teachers for example; I see how sometimes they’re energy picks up after they have coffee or an energy drink which I don’t recommend energy drinks.” 

What harmful or beneficial substance do you think caffeine can cause in a person’s daily life?

“ I think harmful effects are your blood pressure. I think alot of people get caffeine from energy drinks and that affects your blood pressure and their overall diet. It has alot of things that is the reason it makes your heart goes fast right and throughout the day some people get jittery. I mean again I understand why people consume caffeine. I think maybe in small doses or from healthier sources, I know they say green tea is healthy. But, I think people look at tea as not effective, I heard that an apple has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. I dont know if that is true. But, you know people won’t look at an apple the same way as a cup of coffee, overall I am not affected by caffeine. I think it does more harm than good though, although I understand the way it picks up your energy and helps you push through your day.”

To continue I interviewed Mr. Otero who is recognizable in the leadership field of Psychology. 

How has caffeine affected your ability to learn or focus on important priorities? 

“ Caffeine can be distracting if I consume too much of it. So, sometimes I say I am going to do my readings for schooling or lesson plan to teach you guys and it doesn’t happen because I can’t focus. So, I just sit down Hulu, Netflix, and then like “ OH No! I got to do my work for tomorrow it happens.” 

Is caffeine beneficial in certain times of the day? 

“ So, caffeine is dual sided meaning it doesn’t matter the time of the day, but for example; if you wake up in the morning you should not drink coffee for the first hour and a half, because your natural brain chemicals that are waking you up the enzyme right. If you are going to drink coffee, so an hour and a half later I usually wake up at 5 so at 6: 30 or about 7: 00 I drink coffee and then I drink coffee mid-day, because I need too reuptake again. So, that coffee around me would be 5 o’clock because it gets me through class I need in the evening. But, yeah that’s usually a good time to drink coffee, but don’t drink coffee at 10 o’clock at night your not going to sleep.”

What harmful or beneficial substance do you think caffeine can cause in a person’s daily life?

“ Beneficials in the sense that it can help you focus and gives you that energy or the time your falling asleep, but  the coffee can keep you up to sustain your ability to do work, to keep pushing through what you need to get done. It’s harmful in the fact that it is addictive so when you don’t want to drink coffee you kind of have to, because if not you start getting like headaches. It messes with your vision and that can throw you off. So, again anything is good until you do too much of it.”