Caffeine-filled drinks are used to keep the nation moving. However, with the recent introduction of a caffeine bracelet, getting your daily dose of caffeine just became a lot easier.

For 54 percent of Americans over age 18, having at least one cup of coffee has become part of their daily routine. This past week the nation was given a look at the caffeine bracelet called Joules. According to an article by Tech Insider, the bracelet is like having an IV filled with caffeine constantly pumping into you.

The bracelet, which is aimed at helping avoid the annoying “caffeine crash,” uses FDA -approved patches that let the caffeine seep into the skin and travel throughout the body. Each patch lasts four hours and is equal to having one cup of coffee in that time span. The bracelet is designed to give an extra boost to avoid slipping into the caffeine withdrawal that some may experience once their body has absorbed and processed the last caffeine intake they had.

The product, which is set to begin selling later, this year seems like another ploy to get people to buy more and more technology. Have we as a nation not realized that we are now addicted to the latest technology? From the latest iPhone to a bracelet that makes us prone to stop buying or making our own coffee, we have to have it all. The producers of the product say that the bracelet can be used along with continuing to drink caffeinated drinks throughout the day, but what about when you need to get off the caffeine high and can’t?

We have been consumed with products that say they aim to improve our lives, but how much is this actually improving it? Are we willing to give up our daily run to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Are we willing to sacrifice not having the same barista make our normal order every day? These are the questions one must ask before deciding to buy such a product.

I understand it is there to insure that the caffeine high doesn’t plummet and leave people to cope with the aftermath, but to be hopped up on caffeine for most of the day would have other risks. What happens when the patches run out and you do hit your low? Will you become so drugged up on caffeine from having this bracelet that it is even more uncomfortable when you don’t have a patch and can’t run to the closest coffee shop?

While Americans spend 40 million on coffee per year, are we really willing to add the amount of a bracelet and the patches on top of that every month just so we don’t face the consequences of hitting a caffeine low? Sadly, I think Americans don’t care about the consequences of being bought out by technology constantly. It’s no longer about seeing the same friendly barista every day but rather just surviving the day with our fix.