Adderall: Is it a problem?
As second semester
moves past syllabus week, the workload from lectures, discussions, tests,
research, jobs, extracurriculars, and other resume-builders increases. Many
students feel that they are drowning in their commitments and that they simply
do not have the time or energy to accomplish it all. This becomes especially
true for upperclassmen who often have the added stresses of applying for
further schooling, finishing graduation requirements, or simply being burned
out. With not only the pressure to succeed, but also the pressure to outdo
fellow classmates due to curves or limited spots open in post-grad
opportunities, it is no wonder that students look for any way to get an
advantage over their peers.
"It
helps me stay focused and be more efficient, which is very helpful with the
chaos of college," stated one college student who found just that
advantage: Adderall. Adderall is a prescription ADHD medicine that is
extraordinarily common at universities across the nation with the University of
Michigan as no exception. Students find that it allows them to stay focused for
longer allowing them to finish their schoolwork and achieve better grades.
There also is little visible damage to a person taking Adderall beyond possible
signs of an “all-nighter.” This sounds like a perfect fix for the student with
lofty goals and little time, but what is the catch?
Some would argue that it is cheating as it certainly violates the
definition given by psychcentral.com: “to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain
an advantage, especially in a game or examination.” However, with only 41% of
students definitively agreeing with this concept in a study of Ivy League
students, who is to say that taking Adderall is acting “dishonestly?” Possibly
the strongest argument against Adderall use are the side-effects associated
such as sleep problems, headaches, depression and dependence with dependence
being one of the foremost issues. It is possible that individuals who depended
on Adderall to achieve their professional position may also depend on Adderall
to complete tasks in their profession. Would you want to have your operation
done by a surgeon who could crash any moment from his Adderall addiction? With
the workload and stress college students bare, it is difficult to condemn their
desire for a reprieve, but for the health of these students and those who they
affect in their future careers, should something be done? Do the possible
health risks outweigh the knowledge-cramming benefits?
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/17/health/adderall-college-students/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/05/02/is-taking-adderall-to-boost-college-brain-performance-cheating/
https://www.google.com/search?q=college+student+adderall&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=637&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=DRDBVLvBLM_kaouIgJAJ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#imgdii=_&imgrc=bGvUHGEQ100PKM%253A%3BMbgqLj1-KZQOfM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hercampus.com%252Fsites%252Fdefault%252Ffiles%252F2014%252F04%252F20%252Fh_1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hercampus.com%252Fschool%252Funco%252Fadderall-american-student-s-new-frenemy%3B1024%3B683
The use of Adderall on college campuses opens an interesting dialogue on the moral legality of its usage. Although it is debatable, the detrimental side effects of Adderall have been shown to exist in students under extended usage. The more interesting question that arises through this article, however, is does the usage of such drug adequately count as being considered academic dishonesty? My main concern is whether the product readily accessible to students of all types. If so, then the limits placed on it become obscure. We don't know whether to distinguish a chemical like caffeine from Adderall in which, though not chemically similar and act on different pathways, still create similar responses. If the supplement, however, isn't like it is now, then if does put an unfair legal, monetary, and performance modification to better performance on students who do use it.
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