LOS ALAMITOS, CA — After an eventful day at school, students typically crave fast food as a reward for enduring the day. Fast food is seen as a convenient stop due to quick service and a prepared meal, but students are starting to realize an increase in prices that may not make these trips as suitable as they once were.

Fast food prices over the decade 

There has been an increase in prices from many well-known fast food chains. This increase affects everyday civilians, but initially, their main consumers are teenagers. Due to California’s current status with inflation, consumers have seen a dramatic rise in prices. California’s fast food prices now compared to in the past have started to surge, where a product such as a chicken sandwich has started to go up in cost not even by cents but by full dollars.

Fast food corporations like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Chipotle, and Starbucks have been known this year to have raised their prices, and McDonald’s and Chipotle have been rumored to raise their prices even higher in the year 2024. This has become a shock to customers because, in the early 2000s, McDonald’s was seen as a cheap and quick fast food stop.

Why do students appreciate fast food?

Students appreciate fast food because of the instant gratification they can receive from purchasing a meal instead of spending more time and work making a meal at home. Additionally, many Griffins spend extra hours after school in extracurricular activities, so a fast food meal can be convenient in the later hours of the day.

Most of the time, students lack motivation to prepare themselves a meal after going through an exhausting school day, which is why getting fast food can be more favorable. Not only is this process convenient, but it also releases a chemical in the brain known as dopamine. Dopamine is known to stimulate brain activity and motivate a person to accomplish a task, according to Harvard Medical School. This release of dopamine from fast food can make students feel more satisfied and willing to continue working after the school day. 

“I like getting fast food because it tastes good, especially when you get those cravings, but I wouldn’t say it’s good for you at all,” says Francesca McCall-Hokama a freshman at Los Alamitos High School.

What do students think about the rise in prices?

Students have become aware of the rise in prices, and some have mentioned that their families are limiting their trips to fast food restaurants due to it being the holiday season. Many families during this time find the need to budget because, just more expensive fast food, retail stores’ prices are going up as well.

“It made me mad how a lot of fast food restaurants raise their prices since I was so used to buying my food at the same price. Now I feel like I’m paying more for a same quality meal that I used to get at a cheaper price,” senior Olivia Cooks said.

Students need to be informed about the economy and how this will affect their purchasing of fast food items. Having money to spend on fast food is something that can be taken for granted, which is why students need to be wise in their purchasing decisions and learn to budget.