Coke and Spinach: Young People’s “Wellness” Obsession

MAR–20–2023



Words by: Nate LeBoeuf
Photo by Mia Ignazio
Model: Nick Held


After smearing his nostrils with too many lines of coke in the bathroom the night before, he throws his guts up and waltzes to the kitchen to make a green juice smoothie with an extra thumb of ginger. It makes him gag more than the hangover, which means it’s doing its job. 

He slowly sips on it while leaning against the windowsill, almost forgetting that the aroma of cigarettes still lingers on his fingertips. He heads to class, where he spends eight hours, trapped, navigating a monotonous maze of portals in what feels like an endless screen time, just as he did yesterday and will tomorrow. His stomach is a cocktail of smoothie, Svedka, and an anxiety chaser, but at least he cleared his mind with a sunset power walk. 

Upon his return, he heads to the kitchen to craft up a light but savory soup, loaded with vitamin-rich root vegetables, mango vape in one hand, ladle in the other. He forgot about a reading assignment due at 11:59, so he pops an Adderall at 11 pm and blasts house music into his eardrums. He doesn't make it to bed until 3 am; at least he has the energy for his skincare routine.

This cycle feeds into his desired perception and existential dread. He attends yoga three times a week but can’t look at himself in the mirror. He subscribed to an app for guided meditation but can’t stand the sound of his thoughts. Nevertheless, he continues to go out four nights a week and doesn’t think twice about it. 

The green juices become a darker shade and more bitter. His screen time is the highest it’s ever been. His walks get longer, and his attention span gets shorter. The instinct to be healthy and the urge to be fucked up are counterintuitive but not impossible. He’s not delusional, though- it’ll all balance out! The rest can sit on the back burner as long as you look good. Right before he hit the bar again, he applied his Goop cleanser and scrubbed his face relentlessly, almost vengefully, trying to feel anything.

For a generation so highly fixated on wellness culture, we seem to be getting farther from the North Star that is “self-care.” Research revealed Screen time is now up to 28.5 hours per week for people in their early 20s. Simultaneously, 1 in 10 young adults has an alcohol use disorder, and 2 in 5 young adults used an illicit drug in 2018, per the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. These concerningly drastic changes are inexplicably linked to a mental health epidemic. 

As the world around us gets grimmer, young people combat this by latching onto any self-care habit that could remedy our numbness. Guashas, crystals, influencer wellness brands, and the wackiest liquids conceivable are our only saving graces. This fusion of habits creates a wide gap in how we show ourselves love. And we wonder why we feel so empty! This constant pulling in two directions contributes to overwhelming existential misery.

This is not to say anyone's at fault for struggling with this. Even a brisk walk or healthy meal goes a long way in a world where we are constantly served with neurological and physical stimulation. But how do we fix this? Perhaps we start by laughing at the lunacy of it all. Every young person in the modern world deserves credit for having to live this double life, toeing the line between coke and spinach.