Red 40. Whether it is in your sports drinks, candies, or Hot Cheetos (my personal go to), it’s inescapable. Or at least it feels that way. 

Scrutinizing food dye is not new, and laws banning dyes have been passed since the 1900’s (Pure Food and Drug Act 1906). Recently however, attention has been drawn to artificial coloring due to memes. Most popularly, Red 40. 

Research shows that Red 40 may have a lot of red flags. Specifically it is shown to worsen behavior in children with ADHD and potentially contain carcinogens. And if that doesn’t scare you, it might be important to remember that Red 40 is made from petroleum, the same chemical used to fuel cars. 

There are a few measures being taken against Red 40. In 2024, California banned Red 40 and 5 other dyes at public schools (taking effect in 2027). But so far, there is no major government action against it, leaving it to the public to decide whether or not Red 40 is worth the risk.

Now we, as consumers, know that dyed foods aren’t good for us. Yet even with this knowledge, and the nagging voice in the back of our minds telling us to eat healthy, many still grab the Hot Cheetos during lunch. Why is this? To dive deeper, let’s connect it to something more familiar than chemically induced dyes—social media.  

After a busy and stressful day of school, it is normal for students to “doom scroll” on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as a way to decompress. But what starts as a coping method can quickly transform into an addiction. Social media companies thrive on keeping users hooked, because your time is their money. Ad revenue is everything in the online world, and to increase profit businesses create algorithms that keep people scrolling. As YouTuber Drew Gooden puts it, “they’ve made it so the distance between you and a chance at dopamine is just one small swipe away” (Gooden 16:20). 

We like to consume things, whether they are food dyes or media, that are not good for us. From a fundamental level we can feel the way these things degrade our minds and our health, yet we can’t stop. It is hard to fully give up eating dyed foods, because at the end of the day they make us happy. So does scrolling through videos online. However, there is a balance between abstinence and addiction, and it is important that teens understand how to find that middle ground. 

I am not saying to stop eating Hot Cheetos (that won’t happen for a long time). Instead we need to be more conscious with our consumption decisions. What we watch, what we eat, it all can be a reflection of ourselves and where we draw the line: overconsumption versus a healthy dose of self indulgence.