Lately, many teenagers, especially Pleasant Valley High School students, have been obsessing over the Mountain Dew Kickstart energy drink. There are six different flavors depending on what one is drinking it for and what time of the day. If one wants a Kickstart in the morning, there are two flavors available; Orange Citrus and Fruit Punch, during the evening; Limeade and Black Cherry, for a hydrating booost; Pinapple Orange Mango, and for a hydrating boost; Strawberry Kiwi.
This energy drink is known for having a high amount of caffeine. The morning and afternoon flavors have a shockingly high amount of 92 mg of caffeine, while the hydrating ones have 68 mg of caffeine. Although 68 seems lower than 92, that is still a high level of caffeine compared to most drinks that are recommended for high schoolers to drink. There are many pros and cons that come with the high level of caffeine provided by the drink.
Many high schoolers tend to have issues with falling asleep easily at night, focusing during school, and having enough energy to stay awake while class is happening. Caffeine is known to help relieve a teenager from feeling fatigued. Jake Hixson, junior, stated, “I like the Mountain Dew Kickstart energy drinks. For the kids who don’t have much sleep, it’s a way for them to stay awake throughout the day.” Agreeing with Hixson, Preston Olsen, junior, said, “Kickstart drinks are amazing! I’m really glad they’re going to start selling them at school and I believe it’s going to benefit not only the school, but the students as well!” Along with Hixson and Olsen there are many other Pleasant Valley High School Students that are excited that PV will start selling these drinks at the school during the day.
Although there are upsides to caffeine being in a high schooler’s system, there are also many downfalls. Andrew Wendel, senior, said, “There should be multiple choices in the cafeteria, but there should be a limit. Especially since it’s an energy drink filled with caffeine.” Caffeine is known to help students stay more awake, but if you don’t time it right; it can also cause difficulties when one is trying to fall asleep at night. Along with causing issues with sleeping, randomly during the day one can crash and lose all energy. Often teens and young adults will become addicted to caffeine and rely on it to live their life. When caffeine is not available, it can result with headaches, anxiety, depression, and irritable moods.
These Mountain Dew Kickstart energy drinks can be helpful to students and adults when they lack sleep or need more energy. Unfortunately, everything has a downfall, so it must be taken in proportions.
