A Latent Addiction | Teen Ink

A Latent Addiction MAG

By Anonymous

     I have recently been diagnosed with an addiction - to coffee. And I am not alone. This is a problem among Americans of all ages. The coffee shop has become a social staple in our culture. Its enticing aroma, cozy and inviting atmosphere, and sophisticated-sounding menu are difficult to resist, especially if you struggle with an addiction like mine.

But, when you look past the leather couches and coffees named after European cities, all you’ll find is coffee, milk, and a little caramel sauce. Anyone can buy an espresso maker and a container of CoffeeMate and create the same drink that, say, Starbucks does, for a lot less. The only difference between your homemade coffee and Starbucks is that they put it in a cute cup and throw on some whipped cream to convince us that we are treating ourselves to a well-deserved respite from the rigors of everyday life. And we believe them, too, and buy into the idea that drinking their coffee improves our quality of life.

So, next time “white chocolate mocha” begins echoing in your mind, you’ll have to make a decision: will you continue to be one of the millions of brainwashed Americans who live for their next trip to Starbucks, or will you rise above it? My advice: dare to resist and just say no.



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This article has 62 comments.


on Jul. 9 2010 at 2:13 am
Emmasmommy4610 SILVER, Ocean Shores, Washington
6 articles 2 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't hit the ground hard, you'll never know what its like to get up and learn to fly."

Speaking from experience...

 coffee IS an addiction. It's not the COFFEE, its the caffiene in the coffee, and it is an addiction.

 


on Jul. 9 2010 at 2:12 am
Emmasmommy4610 SILVER, Ocean Shores, Washington
6 articles 2 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't hit the ground hard, you'll never know what its like to get up and learn to fly."

Please tell me you're joking. Caffeine addiction is as common (if not more) than niccotine addiction.

You don't get addicted to coffee, you get addicted to caffeine. Just like you can't get addicted to cigarettes, but you get addicted to the niccotine in them.


on Jul. 9 2010 at 2:09 am
Emmasmommy4610 SILVER, Ocean Shores, Washington
6 articles 2 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't hit the ground hard, you'll never know what its like to get up and learn to fly."

During a study in my sociolgy class, I noticed that people are much less addicted to the coffee then the atmosphere. Starbucks coffee is no different than any other coffee, but they have gone out of their way to make their shops enticing. Cool music, the upper class look, nice chairs, sofas, free high speed internet, and pretty baristas make the Starbucks atmosphere a "hip" place to sip coffee and read the newspaper. I love coffee, but I could sit in a starbucks just for the atmosphere rather the coffee. Im sorry you're hooked on coffee, (:

I have a daughter and there are times when coffee seems to be a staple in my life. So, I feel your pain.

Good luck, keep writing!


Fuh-rel BRONZE said...
on Jun. 8 2010 at 4:24 pm
Fuh-rel BRONZE, Corinth, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 12 comments
caffeine is addicting. and kills 10,000 people per year.

on Apr. 18 2010 at 12:23 pm
IsobelFree DIAMOND, Hamilton, Other
71 articles 20 photos 296 comments

Favorite Quote:
"As long as there is open road, the familiar has the most formidable competitor." - Anonymous

Yeah, I love how you think you can say that. As if the rest of us aren't writers and don't know about literature. I go to an Arts high school and major in Literary Arts, and I actually know a lot about literature, thank you very much. I'd like it if you could check out some of my work, in fact. I bet a lot of other teens on this site also are learned in this area. So please don't bash on others just to make yourself feel smart. Thank you.

P.S. To Hannah L. - I loved this article. It made me laugh. :)

 


on Apr. 5 2010 at 4:14 pm
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.&quot; <br /> &quot;Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.&quot;

I love how teens these days haven't heard of satire.

Great article, and I would like to be the first to say that I understood what the heck you were talking about, because I am likely the only person on this site who can claim they are a writer and know about literature.


luvdance said...
on Mar. 27 2010 at 1:55 pm
Coffee is soooooooooo good! I'm not show I'm exactly getting the point of this article. Coffee isn't really an addiction. Just because someone loveeessss chocolate or loovvveeesss broccoli.. (idk) doesn't neccessarily mean they are addicted. Being addicted to coffee is not nearly as bad as other things that people can be addicted to!

on Feb. 20 2010 at 6:06 pm
edwardcullen4always SILVER, Rock Hill, South Carolina
5 articles 6 photos 57 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.&quot;

Very nice. I never knew you could get addicted to coffee

on Feb. 19 2010 at 8:55 am
Peace420 BRONZE, Williston, Florida
2 articles 0 photos 42 comments
Whatever. Coffee is not an addiction! People are just stupid to spend ten dollars at the coffee shop.

I love coffee!

I love Coca Cola!

Don't be hating on coffee because you think that coffee has made you addict.

Wake up hun and smell the roses... You don't know a thing about being addicted

fabiola7386 said...
on Jan. 12 2010 at 3:25 am
its good and very nice

aerdna BRONZE said...
on Dec. 12 2009 at 9:39 am
aerdna BRONZE, Winnipeg, Other
4 articles 1 photo 3 comments
ah .. technically caffiene is a drug, it alters brain functions. seeing as most 'coffee' drinks contain some amount of caffiene, it can be addictive

on Dec. 5 2009 at 2:31 pm
The point of this article was a little confusing. Is the author trying to bash the coffee industry, get readers to stop drinking so much coffee, get readers to stop drinking expensive Starbucks coffee, or what? Coffee in large amounts is not good, but it does have health benefits. And other than wasting money I honestly don't see the harm that comes from the coffee shop being a social staple in our culture.

Dr.Truth said...
on Nov. 15 2009 at 12:04 am
Coffee=Addiction?Seriously?I would like to think of it as a fetish or mental prob. instead.Just like a fetish its not like addictive to other regular people but only to a select few.But still people do create mental problems for no apparent reasons sooo.Also if its not an addiction why do people still get addicted just like if it was beer?

on Oct. 13 2009 at 7:43 am
Mystery_Girl SILVER, Lake, Michigan
8 articles 6 photos 86 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Love me or Hate me&quot;......&quot;Me Vs. The World and the World is Winning&quot;......&quot;When the going gets tough the tough get going&quot;.

Coffee can be an addiction people. Addiction just means something you use everyday and cannot go with out. People get addicted to the caffeine in coffee. So it can be It just isn't serious unless the cafeine is weakening you.

on Oct. 13 2009 at 7:35 am
Mystery_Girl SILVER, Lake, Michigan
8 articles 6 photos 86 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Love me or Hate me&quot;......&quot;Me Vs. The World and the World is Winning&quot;......&quot;When the going gets tough the tough get going&quot;.

I cannot say too much because I am coffe addict too!! But I make my own. However, I spend more money on my makeup then some other people. Everyone has at least one thing that they spend a little more money on. But I also agree. So I cannot say too much.

nigel said...
on Oct. 12 2009 at 10:47 am
just a kind of drink. some liki,some not

on Oct. 8 2009 at 11:51 pm
jkbbjkblbklkjb, Sutton, Other
0 articles 0 photos 33 comments
People are mean. This is an addiction and it's serious.

It's not as serious as drugs no, but does that mean it's not serious?

If there are people starving in Canada, is it non-existant because there are people starving in Africa?

Nice article.

on Oct. 1 2009 at 7:28 pm
OMG! how mean can u guys be????? people can be adicted to alot of thing coffie,drugs,dif. foods, almost anything so leave her alone

on Sep. 26 2009 at 9:36 pm
patrick13 BRONZE, Cave Creek, Arizona
2 articles 0 photos 8 comments
Coffe is not an addiction, you do not have to go to rehab for coffe, you do not ruin your life for coffe, you can not have visions in your mind because of coffe. Coffe is not a problem, I dont drink coffe a lot but the only time I do is when relitives come over who like it in the morning because of the taste. Coffe at home is ok but they made it so its a lot better there but others have different opinions but before you say your opinion you have to try it first.

ssssssssssss said...
on Sep. 23 2009 at 9:21 am
coming from an ex drug addict willing to do any thing for the next fix. You have no idea about addiction