The Greatest Generation is known for surviving the Great Depression, fighting in - and winning - World War II and returning home to rebuild America into a superpower. They also gave birth to the Baby Boomer Generation, which are now grandparents – or great-grandparents – to what some are calling Generation C: the connected generation.

Generation C, today’s 18- to-34-year olds, is digitally connected. They enjoy content creation, being creative and engaging in online communities. And, according to a new report conducted by NPD Group, which tracks food and beverage trends, Generation C is “highly caffeinated.”

Over the past decade, coffee consumption among adults 18- to-24-years old has increased to 39 percent from 25 percent. It’s a trend that hasn’t received nearly the media attention of energy drink consumption, despite the fact that a 16 ounce cup of coffeehouse coffee has as much as twice the amount of caffeine as a similar sized energy drink.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest compared caffeine content of coffees, soft drinks, teas and energy drinks. Their findings would surprise many people – particularly reporters and politicians who’ve gone to great lengths this week to sensationalize the caffeine levels in energy drinks.

Even emergency room doctors might be surprised to learn that a coffee from one of the specialty coffeeshops many of us visit on a daily basis has far more caffeine than most energy drinks. An article that appeared this week on Huffington Post quotes an emergency room doctor who erroneously claims that drinking three energy drinks is the equivalent of consuming 15 cups of coffee. It’s discouraging when medical professionals are so misinformed on the simple facts about energy drinks. It’s even more discouraging when they spread the misinformation and the media fails to question it.

At Sip & Savor we encourage you to check the facts about caffeine levels in the beverages you drink. Don’t believe everything you read. Check then choose.