
Isa Katz
Earlier this year, I wrote a Viewpoints article advocating for a 24-hour study space at UChicago. However, one point that I didn’t quite make clear was my position on caffeine consumption—a normalized plague at UChicago. If one wants to study late into the night, I fully support their efforts. However, relying on caffeine to stay awake only stops the body from signaling that it’s time to go to bed. Sure, you might finish the physics assignment or the SOSC essay, but you’ll likely tank your focus for the next day, wreck your sleep cycle, and chip away at your health. So, though UChicago prides itself on its caffeine culture, the institution has a duty to its students to support their mental health and spread awareness about caffeine dependence.
I am no stranger to caffeine. While I can’t stand the bitter taste of coffee, I have been drinking my cup of matcha essentially every morning this past quarter. Sometimes when I’m tired or unmotivated, I’ll pop a flavored Red Bull (watermelon is the best), drinking as much as I can before my head starts to hurt.
But at UChicago, caffeine is more than an aid: it is a lifestyle. On my tour of the school two years ago, the cheerful guide boasted about UChicago’s numerous cafes, pointing each one out as we passed by. Walk into any of the student-run cafes and you will find throngs of students with their noses to the grindstone, sipping away at their stimulant of choice. Friends will frequently walk to Robust to study, simply for the “vibes.” Now the new rage is matcha, and all of the cafes seem to be competing to make the best version, adding espresso or even chai.
There’s almost a romanticism to it. The University’s vibrant cafe culture seems akin to a modern revival of the Enlightenment-era coffeehouse, where intellectual discourse thrived over endless cups of coffee. And I’ll admit, I love the aesthetics of it. The chalkboard menus, the stacks of books, the handwritten signs—it’s all charming. There’s something cozy and communal about studying at a campus cafe, surrounded by the quiet buzz of productivity.
And it’s not that I think the coffee itself is inherently a problem. A morning cup can both sharpen focus and provide a comforting ritual, one that I myself participate in with my daily matcha. The issue arises when habitual caffeine use dulls its own effect. As the body builds tolerance, the same amount of caffeine no longer provides the same boost, prompting some students to turn to stronger alternatives. A 2018 review found that habitual caffeine consumption significantly reduces its stimulant effects and changes the very system caffeine targets to keep us awake in our brain’s receptors. The consequences of this might mean individuals need to replace their morning latte with a can of Celsius or Monster Energy, chasing the same level of alertness. For others, it might mean popping 200 mg of caffeine pills or pre-workout supplements before class. To keep up with the grind, students escalate and escalate, reaching for stronger alternatives as their bodies adapt.
This escalation isn’t hypothetical—it’s happening all around us. At some point this school year, the French Press cafe installed a Red Bull fridge, selling a variety of different flavors and sizes of the winged energy drink. My friends and I hailed it as a godsend. Just a few weeks later, during my physics final, I sat down for what would be two grueling hours of racking my brain. From across the hall, I could hear the pop of Monster cans opening, like it was standard test-taking equipment.
What started as pride in the aesthetics and rituals of coffee culture seems to have shifted into something more extreme: pride in sheer caffeine intake. I have seen many students boast about their caffeine intake for the past day, usually well above the recommended limit and sometimes enough to kill a small child. People save their cans of Red Bull or Monster, stacking them into towers of trophies, a shrine to their addiction. I feel like I’m surrounded by bankers on Wall Street sniffing lines of cocaine as my peers talk about the absurd doses required to get them through a typical day’s work. Yet while the negative side effects of cocaine are well known, those of caffeine are less so.
The energy drink market has boomed over the past 20 years, becoming the fastest growing drink market since bottled water. Yet, despite this rise, the public is only just beginning to grasp the darker side of these drinks. In 2022, Panera released their new “Charged Lemonade” drink, reported to have 390 mg of caffeine, dangerously close to the recommended limit of 400 mg. By the end of the year, two people with pre-existing heart conditions had died after drinking the lemonade, and Panera was forced to remove the drink from its menu after a slew of lawsuits. I found over 10 instances of young adults dying or having their lives unalterably changed due to overconsumption of energy drinks after brief research. Since 2021, numerous scientific papers have been published investigating the correlation between caffeine consumption and cardiovascular complications, with most advising caution in the consumption of these drinks.
On top of the incredibly high caffeine, these energy drinks often have unregulated additives that can increase the rate at which the caffeine is processed, such as taurine or guarana. And with an ever-growing lineup of bold flavors and sleek packaging, brands keep consumers hooked through novelty. Each new flavor drop becomes a mini event, promoted across social media platforms and designed to generate urgency. Spokespeople for Celsius and the supplement brand Alani Nu roam campus, handing out free samples and generating hype. Worse yet, the playful flavors mask the real risks. Much like bubblegum-flavored vapes, these candy-like drinks make it easy to forget you’re consuming a cocktail of stimulants and additives. I can’t say I’m completely innocent, as I have excitedly cracked open the new “White Peach”-flavored Red Bull—though I was disappointed by the saccharine liquid inside. Still, the excitement of trying it was part of the appeal, and that’s the problem. The energy drink market thrives on this engineered desire.
Caffeine may be the silent fuel of UChicago’s academic rigor, but it comes at a cost to student health that shouldn’t be ignored. As a community that prides itself on intellect and self-awareness, we should also foster a culture of balance. The University should take a more active role in promoting responsible caffeine consumption just as it does for other wellness issues . Late nights and challenging homework may be inevitable, but jeopardizing our health in the process is not.
Adam Zaidi is a first-year in the college.