Blog #2 -> Caffeine and it’s effects on youth

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today for my inquiry project!

As stated above, I wanted to do a question regarding caffeine and its effects on youth, because as someone who is addicted to caffeine, I want to know more about what it does to my body, and I feel others like me would also like to know, so today I will be explaining three sub-question in order to truly find out how caffeine can affect youth, and me!

1. How does caffeine affect mental health, or does it affect it at all? What are some mental effects caffeine might cause?

I feel mental health is a very large part of everyones lives today, and if a drink that many people have on a daily, maybe even twice or three times a day is negatively or positively affecting our mental health, it would be nice to know. Mental health can be affected by anything, especially because it looks so different on everyone, meaning that all of the effects can be different, leaving lots of room to wonder about the effects of caffeine on mental health, which is why I want to research this aspect as I can wonder and be allowed to research this in more of a depth level while being able to learn about other parts of caffeine and it’s effects as well!

2. How does caffeine affect sleep patterns? Why does it cause some people to stay awake all night, and others to fall asleep quicker?

This is a question I want to also research because personally when I drink caffeine, it does not boost my energy, and makes me very hyper, it does the opposite by making me more tired and sleepier, so I would like to research the real reason behind this because then maybe I cannot drink it as often as I do to stay awake, or become energized! I feel this question also ties in great with my main question because as teenagers, we need lots of sleep, but not being able to sleep because of caffeine can be a very big problem especially because sleep helps with development and growth, so I want to also research more about how it affects youths sleeping pattern!

3. Why is caffeine so addicting? and how does it affect the daily life of youth that drink it on a daily basis?

I want to research this question to see if my lifestyle could be different if I quit drinking caffeinated drinks, such as whether will it give me a better quality of life, or will it simply become worse/better! I want to see the negatives of caffeine, as well as the positives of it to also see a non-biased opinion. I also want to research why many people become addicted to it so quickly and why it becomes so hard to quit later on! I feel this can also give youth a better idea of why they should cut back on their caffeine drinking because if the negatives overweight the positives (usually the case), it is better to cut it out of your lives early instead of regretting the effects later on!

While researching my general questions, I also found 5 valid sources that could help me with my research later one!

1. https://partnershipemployment.com/caffeine-affect-work/#:~:text=Caffeine%20Can%20Make%20You%20Feel,t%20had%20your%20morning%20cup.
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4701022/#:~:text=Similar%20to%20adults%2C%20high%20caffeine,tiredness%20%5B13%2C14%5D.
3. https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/11/coffee#:~:text=The%20drug%20is%20notorious%20for,Review%20of%20Neurotherapeutics%2C%202011).
4. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/caffeine#:~:text=Caffeine%20is%20a%20stimulant%2C%20which,you%20feel%20refreshed%20and%20focused.
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3777290/#:~:text=Importantly%2C%20caffeine%20has%20been%20shown,of%20adenosine%20at%20dopamine%20receptors.&text=Studies%20suggest%20that%20dopamine%20release,the%20addictive%20potential%20of%20caffeine.

Lastly, I feel this question will positively benefit my community and the world because caffeine, especially coffee is so popular and such a large topic globally, that it brings people together, so being able to know the harms and positives of it as a youth can help many people as they are growing up decide whether it is right for them. This question allows people to almost get a preview of how caffeine can affect them while they are young so that if it does have a negative effect, people can avoid doing it through their adulthood, or maybe if it helps them while they are young, they can regulate their usage of caffeine so it can positively benefit them throughout their life! I feel caffeine, coffee especially is such a great opportunity for many to do many things such as become more productive, awake, and more energized , so being able to know the effects of it, positive or negative can help many change their perspective so that coffee can be enjoyed in a more healthy manner rather than having 2-3 cups of it daily!

Thank you so much for reading my blog post! Hope you enjoyed!