Riiing! The 8 AM morning bell rings and your class slowly quiets. The last hallway stragglers exhaustingly mope into first period, dragging their feet to start another long Thursday.

Just one. More. Day.

Then, as if on cue, students around the classroom find their solution; they pop their Celsius, Alani Nu, and Red Bull energy drinks open and guzzle them down, their bright eyes widening as each drop of caffeine resuscitates them from their empty expressions.

The standard consumption of caffeine, in the form of coffee, energy drinks, and energy shots, has only grown over the past few years. According to the National Coffee Association (NCA), 66% of Americans now drink coffee every day, consuming this more than any other beverage, including tap water. To make matters worse, NCA’S “data tracking” additionally found that society’s caffeine intake has increased by nearly 14% since January 2021.

Caffeine, when consumed in large quantities, can lead to increased anxiety, worsening sleep quality, and more frequent and severe headaches, according to research by the National Institutes of Health.

Another problem arises with this excessive intake. It is not only harmful, but it’s also addictive.

Caffeine is a stimulant, meaning that it excites the body’s dopamine neurotransmitter system. By blocking receptors in the brain and increasing dopamine levels, caffeine creates an active effect that the body craves continually.

This process is comparable to a drug stimulant after long periods of time. But if this is true, why have we not only normalized but also glamorized caffeine addictions? When did this phenomenon first originate and what can we attribute the widespread use of caffeine to? Is social media at fault? Today’s hustle culture? High school and university’s never-ending standards?

Although there is no clear answer to any of these questions, I believe society’s increased caffeine dependency connects to all these reasons, especially the overworked and under-rested way people live nowadays.

For example, busy students like junior Cole Wentling often feel they need to consume caffeine to function properly throughout the day.

Wentling, who takes multiple advanced classes, is currently involved in show choir and speech, and was also involved in Northern Lights and theatre in the past. He knows he has to perform at his best to keep up with his full schedule.

Although Wentling realizes the overconsumption of these bubbly beverages might not be the healthiest habit, he feels as though there’s only one way to stay on his toes: the sweet exhaustion anecdote of caffeine.

Wentling drinks, on average, five or six energy drinks a week, but is careful not to consume more than one a day. His personal favorite is the Pear Cinnamon Winter Edition Red Bull, a popular option.

Kids aren’t the only victims in this dilemma. Parents might be the first ones to attack energy drinks and coffee, but they are also the first to warn their children not to talk to them before their “morning coffees” and the first to go off their rockers without their daily cappuccinos. The hypocrisy is overwhelming; no one is safe from the suffocating grasp caffeine has on us all.

However, hope is not lost—not yet. There are ways to combat the caffeine-hungry voices in our heads. If excessively tired, Northwestern Medicine suggests taking short power naps, no more than 20 minutes long, to regain some energy.

Otherwise, I’ve always found myself significantly more energized after a quick workout. Exercise gets your blood pumping and can refresh you after a long, draining day.

If you simply can’t shake off caffeine and worse comes to worst, there are multiple alternatives to caffeine you can still enjoy either hot or cold, to-go or snuggled up at home.

Harvard Medical School recommends yerba mate, a traditional Argentinian tea made of yerba mate leaves. This drink can have as much caffeine as coffee without the “fatigue and jitteriness” regular coffee brings its consumers. My mom is a personal fan of this drink.

Personally, I’m more of a matcha buff. Matcha, a Japanese tea drink crafted from finely powdered dried green tea leaves, is made by sifting and whisking this powder with hot water and then adding milk to create a mellow, natural concoction that can be enjoyed hot or iced.

This drink contains less caffeine than coffee, but like yerba mate, provides steady energy without the severe cognitive drop one regularly feels with coffee.

Either way you want to go, it’s time to stop normalizing the overconsumption of caffeine.

Next time you’re craving that Starbucks White Mocha, make the switch. Try yerba mate or matcha. Who knows, it might change your life for the better.