It is no surprise that the US is a breeding ground for stimulating drugs. The American Dream is one of hard work; long hours and a “pulling oneself up from one’s bootstraps” mentality that suggests even an average person can be successful if they work hard enough. If every average American can have a piece of the success pie then competition flourishes. This competition drives energy drink, caffeine and supplement sales and is a suggested contributor to the widespread psychopharmaceutical use that many lament over. Working long hours or excelling academically, for the average American, takes concentration, alertness, good working and long-term memory and rarely is conducive to an otherwise health lifestyle of sufficient sleep, exercise and fresh air. Stimulant drugs, and here I mean stimulating psychopharmaceuticals like stimulants and anti-depressants, nootropic and neuroprotective compounds as well as consumables like coffee and Red Bull are allies in the fight for the American Dream. They help college students pull “all-nighters” to study for exams, long-haul truckers make deadlines, medical residents get through 24 hour shifts and those working well over 40 hours a week to make ends meet fair reasonably well on very little sleep.
The ubiquity of them in the knowledge economy and higher education is something that has long been of interest to me.
I grew up in a Folgers drinking, blue-collar household and saw my father get up at 5am daily, sometimes 7 days a week, to provide for us. He taught me a good work ethic and was the quintessential American success story, working hard to eventually own his own company. This brought us financial stability but I only saw him work more. This painted the American Dream, blue-collar work and indeed, instant coffee, in a poor light for me. To me, less family time but more money was the short end of the stick. This life lesson is what drove me to be the first in my nuclear household to go to college, drew me to the “knowledge for knowledge’s sake” approach to education and in general took away any inclination and motivation towards being wealthy. What did stick though, interestingly, was my parents’ coffee habit. I grew up smelling coffee at 5am and then again a few hours later when my mom woke up. I found caffeine a necessity to the working adult, especially the working college student, and sometimes favored buying a latte over lunch with what little money I had. Stimulants like caffeine are so prevalent because, I argue, all classes can benefit from the alertness and sharpness of thought it brings. I find significant importance in phenomenon that transcend class boundaries as such.
Here we see a vintage satire of this effect coffee has on the American Dream mentality.
Caffeine itself, without even any consideration of the other chemicals we use to need less sleep and stay alert, deserves ample discourse alone. The workingman’s stimulant, the remedy for Monday mornings, the study aide and the cubical companion.
I don’t want to discount the global usage of coffee in focusing on usage in the US. We are the world’s biggest consumer culture of coffee however we are not the first to make it part of our daily routine. Americans tend to take things to the level of abuse quickly and I feel we are particularly fiendish about our caffeine. Rightfully so, as our culture praises those who can function at optimal levels with little sleep or food. This pride in productivity is something we created and still have ownership over although the nations in the process of full industrialization and development, like Brazil, China and some areas of the middle east, are showing signs of a similar culture unfolding.
Global consumption aside, domestically, we are showing pathological signs of caffeine abuse and overuse. Has anyone seen the extra-caffeinated coffees at gas stations, claiming to be the equivalent of multiple cups of coffee in one? And I’m sure you’ve noticed the original 8.4 oz. can of Red Bull has ballooned to a 20 oz. option as well? Coffee pots are even spotted at banks, mechanics and car dealerships, anywhere an adult may be waiting at for more than 5 minutes. Specialty websites even sell caffeinated foods, gums and mints. Given this rampant consumer culture, there is virtually no excuse for anyone to be running at less than high octane. It puts an implicit pressure on every American to succeed, despite any and all odds.
Many anthropologists find this problematic. Not only can this mentality nurture unhealthy habits, it encourages an artificially high level of functioning that few have naturally. Coffee, and now energy drinks and other consumables, is now synonymous with "fuel" to get you through your day.
See below: to-go cup at local Seattle coffee house. We are candid about our coffee addictions.
While certainly not the most sustainable method of coping with the pressures of the American culture of hard-work and success, it remains a method that has formed new spaces for social congregation, new ways to connect with people and new ways for Americans to make money.
