Do ‘Study Drugs’ Breed a Nation of Winners or – Cheaters?
We all want to reach our goals and achieve the highest grades possible. To gain success demands practice and hard work – or does it? Because, the American nation are “a nation obsessed by winning“ and doing our best, said in other words getting the most out of the talent we possess it sometimes calls out for a little help. Today several students uses study drugs to enhance their performance when it comes to school assignments and exams. In the blog article “Do ‘Study Drugs’ Breed a Nation of Winners or – Cheaters?” David Sack criticizes the new phenomenon study drugs. He comes up with different opinions about the subject and discusses whether it’s the right or wrong solution for the students aiming for attending the most popular universities after graduating.
The phenomenon ‘study drugs’ is a result of “a nation obsessed with winning” (p. 1, l. 1). All parents want the best for their children; so that they are prepared in the best way possible to get the job they wish for when they have finished school. We all know the performance enhancing drug steroid which is used in sports. But it’s not only in sports there is the need of performance enhancing drugs. To be able to stay competitive in school it’s not unusual to use the prescription drug Adderall. The drug is meant as a treatment of persons who have ADHD. But college students take it too as a shortcut to success. But “We tell young people, “Don’t use drugs”, but our beliefs and actions encourage them to win at all costs” (p. 1, l. 15-16). So we have to consider what signals we send to our children, so that drugs won’t be the only way to achieve goals. One of the scariest facts is that “young people are less likely to view study drugs as cheating than steroid use in sports” (p. 1, l. 21-21). This method is both illegal and cheating – but these students are so focused on gaining their results that they don’t see the difference between right and wrong. The pupils use these drugs to enhance their concentration and to boost their energy level. This makes it possible “to study faster, remember more and earn the grades expected by the nation’s elite universities” (p. 1-2, l. 32-33). The three things which everybody need to make improvements. But is this the only way to do it - the ultimate choice? Are you either in or out? No, that’s not the right way to put it. Earlier people were able to achieve their goals without drugs. So of course it’s still possible to do it without – a dash of hard work, training and practice and you will be on your way. It has something to do with the attitude we have.
David Sack criticizes the use of study drugs and makes use of an editorial from 2008 in Nature, where they wrote positively about the enhancing drugs. This is followed “by a contingency of parents who are willing to overlook, or even encourage, their children to boost their academic performance using prescription drugs” (p. 1, l. 18-19). This is frightening news. Where have the sanity gone off to? Being the best in class sounds good – but at what cost? He uses surveys showing that ten percent of teens have used either Ritalin or Adderall without a prescription from a doctor. So he underlines that this is serious news we have to respond to. He makes it clear that these types of medications have consequences when they are being misused. “Abusing ADHD drugs can lead to depression, mood swings, exhaustion, heart rate and blood pressure irregularities, and psychosis” (p. 2, l. 36-37). How far are we willing to go and who is to decide whether we have gone too far? Well, that’s entirely up to us as individuals. David Sack writes that we won’t see this development change “until we teach our children the value of cooperation over competition” (p. 2, l. 46-47). So all in all he uses scientists, The Partnership at Drugfree.org, studies and the knowledge about side effects to prove his point and establish his ethos. He uses logos, when he supports his arguments with facts and makes use of our credibility to doctors and the knowledge we have from scientists and other studies. This makes him sound trustworthy to the reader. He draws in parents emotions with pathos and we see his argumentation from a personal angle. His argumentation is supported by all three appeals which helps us to understand why he thinks it’s an important issue and that is matters. Flot afsnit, både form, sprog og indhold!
We have to face the facts. And that opinion is shared by the National Public Radio website on February 5, 2008. Here Renee Montagne reports about the use of study drugs in campuses. “Researchers say that students are finding ways to get it without a prescription in spite of serious, well known side effects” (00:28-00:35). An anonymous girl declare the first time she took it was in her freshmen year (00:57-01:05). “When I was sitting down to study I wouldn’t be restless, I wouldn’t be thinking about the TV or listening to music, I would just be completely channelled into what I was doing and not restless at all. I was very focused (01:23-01:41). Boy with ADHD says “I usually just give it to my friends just because I don’t really want to charge them for something that I’m not even taking just like extra” (02:53-02:59). Neuroscientist Martha Farah from university of Pennsylvania has studied the use of Ritalin and Adderall on campuses. She declares that “These are serious drugs with serious side effects” (04:22-04:25). And in the article “More Students Abusing ‘Study Drug’ adderall” the conclusion is “it is up to educators and students to change that culture and the message students get about using these powerful prescription drugs” (p. 1, l. 47-48).
So we can conclude that there are both good and bad things connected to these drugs. But the will to gain success overrule the common sense. Students are taking these drugs because they find the impact fulfilling. They don’t see why it’s wrong and the consequences it might bring. Competition is good, but it can reach to a point when it is above what is healthy. Everybody has goals and it’s admirable to go after them – but does it matter at what price? I think it does.

Idéen i din indledning er ok, men du får den ikke formuleret ret godt – hverken, logisk sammenhængende, teknisk eller sprogligt. Det er vigtig at starte godt, for som læser danner man sig lynhurtigt et billede af niveauet. Og det billede kan det være svært at ændre meget på længere henne. Jeg synes dog, at resten af opgaven er flot.
Karakter: 10-12

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[ 1 ]. http://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/drug-abuse-addiction/student-adderall-abuse/