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🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

Caffeine Can Backfire During Exams: Warning Issued for Youth

From Hankyoreh · (6m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A report highlights that high school students consume high-caffeine beverages more frequently than middle schoolers, with nearly 30% drinking them three or more times a week.
  • Experts warn that excessive caffeine intake, especially during exam periods, can negatively impact adolescent concentration and learning efficiency, contrary to popular belief.
  • International regulations are tightening, with the UK banning sales of high-caffeine drinks to under-16s, and other European countries considering similar measures.

South Korean adolescents, particularly high school students facing intense academic pressure, are increasingly reliant on high-caffeine beverages like energy drinks. Data from the Korea Health Promotion Institute reveals that almost 30% of high schoolers consume these drinks at least three times a week, a rate significantly higher than their middle school counterparts. This trend is concerning, as experts caution that the perceived benefits of caffeine for concentration during study sessions are often illusory and can, in fact, impair learning and sleep quality.

Adolescents, being in a period of physical and mental growth, require special attention regarding caffeine intake in terms of learning and sleep.

— Lee Hae-jeong, Professor of Food and Nutrition at Gachon UniversityWarning about the negative impacts of caffeine on adolescent development and learning.

The health risks associated with excessive caffeine and sugar intake are substantial. For adolescents, whose bodies are still developing, the recommended daily caffeine limit is far lower than for adults. A single energy drink can contain a significant portion of, or even exceed, this limit, alongside high sugar content that contributes to risks of obesity and chronic diseases. Reports of severe health issues, including irregular heartbeats and even fatalities, linked to overconsumption underscore the urgency of this public health issue.

Habitually drinking energy drinks to improve concentration during exams can actually have a negative impact on learning efficiency.

— Lee Hae-jung, Professor of Food and Nutrition at Gachon UniversityExplaining the counterproductive effects of caffeine consumption for studying.

Recognizing these dangers, other nations are taking proactive steps. The United Kingdom has already implemented a ban on the sale of high-caffeine beverages to individuals under 16, with countries like Spain and Ireland considering similar legislation. This international trend highlights a growing global awareness of the need to protect young people from the adverse effects of these products. In South Korea, the Hankyoreh, as a publication committed to public health and social well-being, urges greater attention and potentially stronger regulatory measures to curb this worrying trend among our youth.

High school students' high consumption rate of high-caffeine beverages remains at a level that requires attention.

— Kim Heon-joo, Director of the Korea Health Promotion InstituteEmphasizing the continued need for vigilance regarding adolescent caffeine intake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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