Bubly has taken Edison Intermediate School (EIS) by storm. Over half of the student body has indulged in bubly. Bubly is a form of seltzer produced by the company Pepsico. Bubly has furthered their production of seltzer and now produces sparkling juices as well. The unique flavors and bright packaging have brought in many consumers. The company Pepsico knows that it has increased their sales. “For consumers increasingly more careful about their health, flavored seltzer has become a breakthrough hit. As we developed our own sparkling water, we realized what the category was missing: a sense of flavorful relief to make everyday life more fun,” the company expressed.
EIS has replaced ICE with bubly very abruptly. One day, bubly cans showed up in the cafeteria fridge, and soon after, the sugar bubly bottles showed up, too. Our school collaborates with a company, Chartwells, that supplies the food products for many cafeterias in schools. “We started selling bubly because our company changed from ICE to bubly,” Domenick, the Cafeteria Manager at EIS, said.
Many eighth graders are ecstatic about this change. Eighth grader Laila Mehmedovic exclaimed, “I like bubly because it has a more refreshing flavor. I am glad our school started selling it.”
Although many students feel the same way as Laila, it contrasts with how eighth grader Gavin Salerno feels. “I don’t like it very much; there are better seltzers,” he stated.
Similar to some eighth graders, many seventh graders felt influenced to buy bubly because EIS started selling it. Some even felt influenced because their classmates were drinking it. “I definitely started drinking bubly since it has been selling at EIS,” said seventh grader Megan Maurer.
This view was very common among people who tried the bubly drinks. Seventh grader Katherine Sletteland stated, “I only started drinking bubly because school started selling it.”
Apart from a select few, the sixth graders have more of a one-track mind and mostly grab for the most sugary drinks that they can find! Most sixth graders felt that way, according to a recent school study. The study shows that more than 93% of sixth graders and some seventh graders chose the sugary bottles over the sugar-free cans. This was opposite to eighth graders, where it was shown that about 64% of them chose the cans. “I like the bottles because they are very sweet and good,” sixth grader Alex Weiner said.
The bubly bottles closely resemble the ICE drinks as they contain more sugar and are more flavor-reliant. The upside about the bottles is that they close, in contrast with the harmful effects the amount of sugar has on middle school bodies. Sixth and seventh grade Spanish teacher, Jillian Martinez expressed, “It is distracting for the student because it is messy and spills all the time. The cans are really bad because they cannot close and seal.”
This is a concern many teachers expressed, which is why it has caused students to try to work their way around it. Sixth grader Graham Elmquist figured out a way to drink the cans. “It doesn’t distract me during school because I only drink it during lunch,” he stated.
The spills may not be the only problem, though. It is not fully known what impact the drinks have on the student brain while trying to learn in classes, but some research shows that carbonated drinks, including bubly, slow down the immediate release of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication. It is also shown that carbonated drinks increase anxiety. Consuming a carbonated drink while anxiety medicine is in your system can result in the medicine not being effective (Carlat Psychiatry Report). Vice Principal Ms. Jada Cole has some of her own beliefs. “I think the drink has a different effect on every student,” she revealed.
The secret to what makes this fun canned drink enjoyable is only carbonated water and natural flavoring. Many feel the cans lack intense flavor, while the bottles are full of sugar, so it’s hard to know why certain people are attracted to one or the other. It is hard to understand the reason why the whole school is going crazy over it, too. The question is: why are these drinks so exciting? Megan stated, “It is different from all the other seltzers because the packaging is fun.”
This is one of the many reasons why this drink blew up, but no one will ever know the true reason. As long as this drink continues to be bought and consumed by students who enjoy it, there is no problem, and bubly will thrive and fizz for a long time at Edison.
