Here goes.......


Justin Kernes
Dr. Lopez
English 100
7 May 2008

Why Energy Drinks?

The future is here. It seems like every day we are constantly being told that there just isn't enough time in the day to There are many cultural phenomena in today's society: Myspace, iPod, and the omnipresent YouTube. However, another phenomenon we are less familiar with is the mass consumption of energy drinks. In the past, if people wanted energy, they ate food. Now they get their energy out of a bullet-shaped aluminum can. This energy-addicted culture is under the impression that consuming energy drinks is a statement of character. Rather, whatever drink they have in their hand is an accessory to their person. These same people are also under the impression that more energy is required of them throughout their busy days due to the fact that there are more things that they want to do during their day. Energy drinks are just a way for companies to convince society that they are woefully inadequate. Basically, energy drinks today represent a status symbol for individuals who believe that they are busier than ever before. I once saw a T-shirt that said "Coffee. Do more stupid things faster and with more energy". I think this is the same idea that the energy drink companies are trying to capitalize on.

First of all, energy drinks, according to Brown University, "contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng". They usually have names that describe action, sex, or strength, such as Whoopass, Venom, Rockstar, Cocaine, Vault, and RedLine. The large majority of energy drinks rely on caffeine to deliver the energy they advertise. Gatorade does not fall into the energy drink category because its energy source relies on sugar, not caffeine. Research says that children should not consume more than 85 milligrams and childbearing women should not consume more than 300 milligrams. Although, according to health Canada's research, they "suggest that an intake of 400–450 milligrams of caffeine per day poses no risk to healthy adults" (It's Your Health). Other sources claim that nobody should consume in excess of 600 milligrams of caffeine per day. However, the thing to keep in mind is energy drinks don't all come in a twelve ounce can like soda. For instance, Monster has 160 milligrams of caffeine in one sixteen ounce can. A consumer can buy a sixteen ounce can, but what's to keep them from splurging and getting double the amount? (Energy Fiend) So now their caffeine intake jumps to 320 milligrams if they were to drink the whole can. Some people do not limit their intake to only one can. They might have one for breakfast to get the morning started, one as a late afternoon pick-me-up, and finally, a concoction of their favorite energy drink and alcohol for their evening cocktail. One could easily reach the so-called maximum of the daily caffeine intake.

But why drink energy drinks? Do we drink them for the taste? Probably not. People drink energy drinks because they need to accomplish more tasks throughout their busy day. There are emails to be answered, dishes to do, lawns to mow, television shows to watch, there just isn't enough time in the day to do the things we want. Technology has lengthened the average day. So to cope with the long hours, we drink energy drinks. It all agrees with Laurence Shames's argument: we operate in a "more" society. Societies in the past have been centralized around the belief that quality was the one thing we should strive for. In today's culture, it now turns into a race for "more". Whoever has "more" is the defacto "winner". "Rather than measuring progress in terms of geographical expansion, we have measured it by expansion in our standard of living" (Shames 61). This best summarizes the author's belief on the "more" factor in America. This is exactly how we are using energy drinks. We try to accomplish more than we can handle in one day. So to beat the time clock we down shots of liquid energy, thus extending an otherwise normal schedule.

There is an odd thing about time. Almost everyone we know including ourselves claim that there just isn't enough time in the day. Every time I hear somebody complain about how they don't have enough time, I laugh silently. We all have the same amount of time, we just use it differently. Usually, the "time" argument always spawns off in to a competition of how late we stayed up last night. "Dude. I was up until two-thirty last night doing algorithms for my calc class". This kind of statement always leads to the other person claiming he or she stayed up later than the other person because they were doing twice the amount of work. Eventually, I sit back and silently calculate the amount of hours of sleep this person gets. The answer is less than the minimum for basic human functionality. This is exactly Shames's argument. We as a society have such a need for more that quality starts slipping. Energy drinks acknowledge the fact that we don't have enough time throughout the day to do the things we want to do.

But it goes deeper than the occasional energy boost. Carrying around your favorite energy drink is a statement of character. By toting it around, the drinker is telling everyone around him or her that he or she, the energy drinker, is incredibly busy and doesn't have time to sleep and eat regularly like the rest of us. They are telling us that whatever they are doing is far more important because they have to take energy supplements to keep up with their demanding lifestyle. Eventually, the energy drink becomes obsolete. Now all that matters is the statement that the person is making. After that, the energy drink is no longer a cold fizzy beverage, it becomes an accessory. Just like an MP3 player, or some chic designer purse, or my personal favorite: Starbucks coffee.

Yes, both energy drinks and coffee are extremely similar. They both contain caffeine and both are expensive when it of beverages. But the shocking fact is that they both have become an accessory. Since Starbucks first opened in 1971, they have experienced enormous growth, going from four stores in the United States, to more than 2,000 stores nationwide in 2000 (Starbucks Annual Report). Some would agree that Starbucks's coffee is popular. But the majority of people who I see and talk to who drink Starbucks tell me that their coffee is only decent. They tell me that they much prefer the tea or the hot cocoa or their blended drinks. I'm almost sure that I could make a decent hot cocoa for half the price, and my iced tea isn't too bad either. For all of the complaining college age people do, why do they insist on buying four dollars worth of beverage that could so easily be made at home for cheaper? Simple. The cups at home are not ivory and they don't have the asinine green mermaid with the Starbucks logo. When somebody buys a beverage at Starbucks, I'm sure they are actually thirsty, but a small part of them wants the attention that only a mediocre cup of Joe and billion dollar beverage company can bring them. This is the same thing that is happening to energy drinks. Sure people may actually be thirsty, but their thirst for a logo and an accessory is far greater than their thirst for a sub-par energy drink.

The average hot Grande-sized cup of coffee at Starbucks costs $2.90 (Cultural Arts Coffee). According to an online blog, a traditional sized Grande at Starbucks is 16 ounces. There are eight Grandes to a gallon which would cost you (at $2.90) $23.20. Keep that number in mind, it will come in handy. Recently, I was reading in Parade magazine that the number one financial concern was the price of fuel. This stormed the polls with a whopping 39 percent of the vote (Parade). What with gas coming close to four dollars a gallon, who can blame them. But those same people have zero inhibitions about spending the same amount on a beverage three to five times a week, and receiving one-eighth less. I realize that it doesn't take 15 gallons of coffee at one time to fill us up, but seriously. If we filled our gas tank with mocha latte double shot cappuccinos, or any concoction of the sort, our receipt would register somewhere around the 300 dollar mark. All in the name of logo. All in the name of, well, a name. People would rather spend their hard earned money on a logo than to save that money for gas, the chiefest concern of 39 percent of the sample population.

Despite the ramblings of the past couple of paragraphs, this isn't a Starbucks bashing contest. Take that step backwards again. Energy drinks and Starbucks are extremely similar. The cost is close, the caffeine is close. But the pinnacle of their similarities is the reason for having them; to be able to shout deftly that one belongs to the elite that drink energy drinks. And the same people that drink Starbucks, the same people that consume energy drinks haven't realized the crucial point. Nobody cares that they consume mass quantities of liquid with some second-rate logo on the side of the container. And the beverage companies continue to rob them blind with the subliminal messaging of staying cool while drinking energy drinks.

While the beverage companies are trying to appeal to the college crowd, there will always be younger children looking to do what the big kids do. Children ages 10-14 are finding energy drinks alluring. With that said, a major problem in the many households of American suburbia is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately "3 [to] 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD" (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). It is odd how we claim to not have enough energy throughout the day, yet our children are suffering from a disease that causes them to have too much uncontrollable energy. It almost sets a double standard that children are too hyper and our adults cannot function properly without additives. Once again the energy drinking culture is telling the non-consuming culture that they are woefully inadequate.

Sure, I have tried energy drinks. Personally, I didn't notice anything. And I'm perfectly happy with that. If they magically gave you more energy, like popping in an extra set of batteries, everyone would be drinking them. But energy drinks don't perform that kind of magic. More importantly, I don't belong in a culture that decides that it needs to derive its power source from bullet-shaped cans. And I especially don't like pouring gasoline on the fire that is a logo driven society. And most importantly, I don't want any association with people who accessorize things that aren't accessories. Heated seats are an accessory. As long as energy drinks are being accessorized, I will take no part in supplying the power hungry capitalistic companies that feed off of my dollar. Now, has anybody got any downers? I need to get some sleep






hope you guys stuck it out

holy ****.

my eyes exploded

I like the bit about not getting enough sleep because of homework. I also liked how it was written really formally but there were segments of personal experiences. Very well mapped as well with a good intro and conclusion

Once I had an energy drink after I played basketball. Yeah, did not sleep that night until who knows when

thanks, im glad you read it.
i got an 87for it. i would have liked higher marks, but the thesis was a little inconsistant. and i went on too long about starbucks

hey rocker, did you read it? or just immediately scroll down after you saw how long it was?
im betting on the latter

He'll understand one of these days


I like how you describe it as bullet shaped

THis was my favorite Part

Code:

Despite the ramblings of the past couple of paragraphs, this isn't a Starbucks bashing contest. Take that step backwards again. Energy drinks and Starbucks are extremely similar. The cost is close, the caffeine is close. But the pinnacle of their similarities is the reason for having them; to be able to shout deftly that one belongs to the elite that drink energy drinks. And the same people that drink Starbucks, the same people that consume energy drinks haven't realized the crucial point. Nobody cares that they consume mass quantities of liquid with some second-rate logo on the side of the container. And the beverage companies continue to rob them blind with the subliminal messaging of staying cool while drinking energy drinks.

well thanks. truthfully i only thought byd would read it

When the BYD reads
Everyone reads
*Crosses arms gangsta like*

*gets shot like Big E and 2pac

too much letters---------------can't read

i read the whole thing


O_o


i bet every 1 just shat a brick

you little purple bastard. you read?! damn' you. damn' you all. look what you have done to the poor kid

im now permantly scared

Lol did you Really tho i readed this whooole Thing?
LLLLOOOOOOLLLLLLL
I can barely Readthe other member Posts

whatever, i dont care if you read it, byd was interested.
if you did stick it out, what did you like?

and dont feel bad IB, this is college level writing, and english ( i assume) is not your 1st language

Lmao IB is only going to know the manly English words from using this forum

Lol.
But yeah I like to read on spanish...English is too much thinking for meh...

well, i like to read in english, spanish is too hard for meh

lol

Tell me if you can read this

0h1t54r

not especially.......uhhh
oh whatever? is just a guess

OhiTSAr?

Oh hi thar

Close.really close

allright, what did both of you say? i give up

I said Oh hi thar
I have no idea what IB's says

1cw47u6167h4r

As soon as I saw I c
I could read it

that last bit was really trickey, so i made the first bit easy

Brµ73 1$ 0n3 £µ(|{¥ $0n 0ƒ 4 b17(h

Can u read that?

brute is one (ugly,fucky?) son of a *****

Brute is one lucky son of a *****...
close...lol

the lira symbol messed me up
fucky and
lucky
are really close

LOL
Why i would say you are fucky?
wtf is fucky anyway?

idk, it just looked like you said it.

i have no clue

Lol anyway...how we got from your esay to Fucky?
Fucky=****ing Lucky?

ill go with that. yay

and my essay was boring, this is better

Lol.
your essay was about red bull?

i guess, it was about energy drinks and how they systematically are destroying our culture

read it IB, get a cup of coffee or tea and just sit down and read it. very intersting

I....Try....Read...Me...Head...Explide
*shutdown...*

how far did you get

Justin kernes
ms. lopez.......

and then you stopped

My really really---
Yeah that far