How smart are “smart drugs” on campus?
There's a lull in activity around here now that midterms and papers are done. People I had presumed dead or missing are emerging into daylight, having previously vanished under piles of books. There is a sort of peace in their eyes, as though they've been through a great struggle and grown wiser for it. I myself have felt the calm that comes with turning in the last assignment due, have seen the clouds break and the sun shine through. (Metaphorically. It's still rainy as hell outside. No matter what you hear about winter in Vancouver, I promise it's not an exaggeration.)
It's amazing the lengths people will go to in order to ensure academic success. I'm not talking about cheating - not in the crib-notes-on-your-ankle sort of way, at least. (It's questionable, in fact, whether you could really call it cheating.) It's a relatively new method, one that seems to be becoming more popular with students: Nootropics.
You probably already use them. Caffeine is a popular nootropic. So is nicotine. If you eat fish because you've heard it's good "brain food," then you also qualify. A nootropic is any substance that is used to enhance cognitive performance. Some of them, like anti-depressants or anti-ADHD drugs (i.e. Ritalin), are prescribed in order to help people with medical or psychological conditions function "normally." Plenty of others are stretched beyond their intended use, though. Since the beginning of civilization, people have been using drugs for fun. Now they're using them for work.
The most popular "smart drug" on campus seems to be Adderall. Like Ritalin, Adderall is normally prescribed to individuals diagnosed with ADHD. According to this study, approximately 7% of college students in the USA reported using prescription stimulants within a month prior to completing the survey. At some schools - the ones with high levels of academic competition - the rate was as high as 25%.
Adderall is essentially a combination of two types of amphetamines. There's a risk of stroke or heart failure, especially in people with pre-existing conditions.
But what does it mean in a larger context that people my age find the prospect of academic or professional success so alluring that they need to alter their brain chemistry in order to achieve it? Is the next generation to enter the work force going to consist of pharmacologically enhanced automatons bent on earthly gains? Or is this the next step in transhumanism - the movement beyond the boundaries set by evolution towards something greater?
On the one hand, there's a moral quandary involved. If a large number of students begin using heavy-duty nootropics to improve their output at school, doesn't it follow that other students will be pressured to do the same? How long before this practice stops being a means to gain a competitive edge, and becomes necessary to compete? People in the armed forces are legally required to use performance enhancers as part of their job. Imagine a day when there's a disclaimer on university application forms noting that students may be required to do the same.
It's also sad to see people so young - not quite adults yet, still developing - throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the rat race. You'd think by now we would have learned something from past generations, enough to understand that there is more to leading a fulfilling life than a fat bank balance and an impressive resume. I can understand young people devoting time and money to substances that, despite their potential for long-term detrimental effects, can be used to perceive reality differently, or to bond with other humans. Students are known for breaking social norms and experimenting with substances. But taking drugs so you can become more of a square - isn't that counterintuitive?
On the other hand, we're always ingesting things to help us improve our performance. Headache slowing you down? Take Advil. Need to break the ice at a business meeting with clients? Order a round on the company card. The long lines at Starbucks in the morning are a testament to what an important role caffeine plays in keeping the workforce mobilized. So are the groups of employees huddled outside in the cold during their lunch breaks, sneaking one of those cigarettes they just can't make it through the day without. Like it or not, the use of drugs to improve productivity is ingrained in our culture. In fact, it's worked its way into most cultures around the world. Even Tibetan Buddhist monks - those models of purity and detachment from the material world - drink endless cups of tea and yak butter to keep themselves focused during late-night mantra sessions.
Sure, the drive for mental acuity can be taken too far. Someone I know used to mix cocaine into wine and sip it while they wrote term papers. (Thankfully, they kicked the habit not long after they realized what it had become - a habit.) I've met a few individuals who attribute their nicotine addictions to chain-smoking during late-night cram sessions. And on a more absurd note, a friend of mine likes to snort rails of crushed-up caffeine pills while studying for exams. People can do silly things while trying to improve themselves, but they can do silly things while trying to have fun as well. Should these extremities be the defining factors when it comes to deciding whether or not cognitive enhancement is beneficial?
It's not a clean cut matter. There are a wide variety of factors to consider, more than I can discuss here. And as information becomes a more valuable commodity, it's not likely the use of smart drugs will become any less prevalent. Being around so many young people driven to succeed has changed the way I see the matter, and raised issues that had never crossed my mind before. Our generation isn't content to tune in and drop out any more, and it will be a long time before we see the full effects of this mentality. For now, though, I'm content to stick with black coffee and the occasional cigarillo to keep my fires burning. There's only so much my brain can do, after all. Why not keep it running at a comfortable level? It seems like the smart thing to do.
Tagged with
drugs,
nootropics,
cognitive,
enhancement
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BRYCE WARNES
Comments
Bryce, you've missed the most used drug in UBC. One of my UBC friend said that their university has the most "Budtenders" per capita.
"How long before this practice stops being a means to gain a competitive edge, and becomes necessary to compete?"
Already happening in the olympics bud, it was just a matter of time before it would hit our schools.
bro, i hate to say it, but those minimum wage jobs you worked before university are the same ones you're gonna be working after university with that degree - only you'll have a $40k student loan debt hanging over your head - bail out now! i wish someone had told me as much when i studied arts and lit - good luck
great article though, by the way
That was a great and funny article, hopefully G&M; hires Bryce on after graduation. I graduated from school a couple years ago, at the time ritalin was the smart-drug of choice, but not prevalent enough for me to get my hands on (the drugs that make you stupid were much easier). I sure would have, and I also consumed copious amounts of crushed up caffeine pills for all-nighters before exams. I know that messed up my sleep, and ended up very counter-productive after a while. I'm more grown up now, and I regret it. Slow and steady, studying throughout the term, or keeping the brain running at a comfortable level would have served me much better, and led to a more relaxed four years.
Carl,
You're overlooking the fact that those who seriously devote themselves to the study of the liberal arts aren't in it for the money; instead, they do it in pursuit of enlightenment. Given the intellectual laziness apparent in your stated opinion and poor writing style, I can hardly say I'm surprised that you found neither.
"And on a more absurd note, a friend of mine likes to snort rails of crushed-up caffeine pills while studying for exams."
You have some... interesting friends.
I hope your next article addresses the craziness going on with your student union and the UN!
I think your writing has sure improved! Wow, I love it now. You write so much more confidently and authentically. Thanks so much for this post.
This was the first post to read less like a blog, more like an actual piece. Kudos. Not to say that I don't enjoy your regular "blog" posts, which I do. Good luck with your upcoming exams.
A thoughtful, well-written piece that provides insight into how sickly competitive our society is. How long before this trend trickles down to High School?
When, if ever, will we say 'enough is enough'?
There is an assumption here that people taking these supplements are in a pursuit for "high performance." I would think that in the majority of cases it is quite the opposite that motivates those who turn to a pill to get through their work; instead, it is laziness. It seems to me that those people averse to doing the work necessary to excel are the ones who will just pop a pill in a half-hearted attempt to convince themselves they are "hardcore" about school.
Likely, the majority of those at the top of their classes are hard-working, slightly caffeinated, but overall well-adjusted people that still know how to have fun after their studying is done.
It is the B-mongers that pop a pill, pull an all-nighter and then gripe to their friends about how crazy their exam period has been that are just the poseurs in a world where true achievement does matter.
Before eliciting your trite and naive thesis that life is about more than a "fat resume," maybe some thought should go toward what is the real meaning of work. I agree that pill-poppers have missed the best life has to offer, but I disagree that their lot be associated with those who truly strive to achieve; those for whom it is not just about a plump bank account, but the act of achievement itself.
Reading this blog.. does not surprise me at all. Im a university student myself, but i don't take pills to keep awake. The competitive nature of university is increasing every year with a higher GPA to be accepted into faculties. For my university, in your first year, your competing with hundreds of students who will be applying to get accepted into a faculty which only accepts about 1/4 of the students that apply (depending on the faculty). Then once in the faculty (depending on the faculty again), your competing with those students for top grades in order to get a good placement for practicum/consolidation/placement at the end of the 4 years.
Hope people don't get the impression that the high achievers/driven students can thank their success on these pills...
When i applied to my faculty, 500+ students applied, 100 got accepted. Im in my last year, less than 40 students are going to graduate on time, some failed courses, kicked out, took an LOA. I work a 0.7 (56 hours every two weeks), have about 6hrs of sleep on average per night, study non stop and maintain on the deans list of a GPA (>3.55). No, i don't take pills to stay awake, No i don't cram before exams or when i have papers due.. Yes, I'm exhausted, burnt out and looking forward to winter holidays.
However, i don't think that everybody that takes these pills are lazy either. Since the increased competition with other students, and the demand of increased knowledge, students need to use their time as much as possible. Some feel guilty for even taking a nap after class once home and before returning back to school to study. Having the mentality that " 1 hour nap i could take, means less time i have to study...i'll pass on a nap" means alot to them. I know thats what i do, I wont have a nap even though i'm exhausted, i'll push myself. Alot of students think the same way, some will help push themselves with a bolt from a pill and some won't. In this case, it has nothing to do with laziness i think.
And with that being said.. Im going to bed and writing an exam tomorrow.
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