Ryan Wu

It has been a tradition for generations for students to blast music while studying, but how effective is this really? Does listening to music help with focus, or distract people?

To listen, or not to listen. That is the question. Whether tis’ nobler to sit in silence and study, or turn up your headphones to full volume to drown out any noise. Opinions on whether music is helpful or distracting remain as diverse as musical genres themselves. So does the inclusion of music while studying really turn this activity into a dynamic and engaging experience, or does it hamper critical thinking and the learning process?

Some believe that music enhances the learning experience by adding an air of cheer to an otherwise boring activity. The enchanting music turns mundane assignments into an activity to look forward to.  

“I like to listen to music while studying because it helps my assignments feel less boring,” Elissa Yoon (12) said. “Having music in the background allows me to have a little fun while doing my work.”

Others believe that listening to music while studying is directly beneficial to the studying experience. The addition of music helps with the constant chatter and ambiance of the world outside of one’s headphones. 

“I listen to music, specifically classical and video game lyrics, while studying because it helps me concentrate when working, decreases my stress levels, and limits the amount of outside noise distracting me,” Jonathan Pappas (12) said.

There are also those who believe the benefits of listening to music while studying are situational.

“It depends on what they’re studying. There’s all sorts of research out there that talks about classical music, certain types of instrumental music, and new-age meditation music actually increasing people’s ability to study and help with focus,” AP Literature teacher Mrs. Laura Grissom said. “Music isn’t actually what bothers me, it’s just when you have lyrics blaring into your ears interfering with your thoughts.” 

As Mrs. Grissom points out, the lyrics of a song can split one’s attention between the words of an assignment and the words blasting in one’s headphones. It may be possible that the inclusion of Kanye West and Taylor Swift in a study session would not be beneficial to the thinking process.

At the end of the day, listening to music while studying is left up to the personal choice and discretion of any individual student. Whether one is perfectly happy working in silence or would rather drown all outside noise with death metal is up to each person to decide.