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Whistle while you work
Published: Monday, August 25, 2008 - 7:14pm
All summer long I was left in peace. I listened to my iPod for hours every day and no one bothered me. Now I have to deal not only with homework but also talk of "the music has got to go."
It's generally agreed that kids can't possibly do their homework with the TV on, texting, IM-ing, or listening to music. Granted, watching TV or messing around with your phone or computer is distracting, but music? Not really.
Some call listening to music while you work multi-tasking. And all sorts of nasty things are said about multi-tasking. Students learn superficially. They use the wrong parts of their brains to store information — parts not suited for long-term memory and understanding. Not only will we forget it three days later, but it's difficult to extrapolate it to different contexts. Multi-tasking invariably takes more time and involves more error.
Nevertheless, most kids listen to music while they work. It helps them to concentrate and avoid daydreaming. Music functions like white noise, drowning out distractions. It can also have an emotionally soothing quality, especially if thinking about school stresses you. And, of course, listening to your favorite music may even help some kids tolerate boredom associated with some homework (although obviously none of our homework is boring).
So, if listening to music makes doing homework more enjoyable for kids, then shouldn’t it be tolerated? Besides, if music is really a distraction, isn’t it smart to learn to cope with it? After all, the workplace is not going to be a quiet one.
Some parents actually don’t mind if their kids listen to music while working. They did it themselves. However, they usually have some advice about what kind of music we should listen to. Which usually means music without lyrics. Which often means classical ( "Mozart makes you smarter," right?).
The clash in my house has to do with the earbuds/headphones versus background music issue. The difference has to do with how close the input of sound is.
Earbuds and headphones have direct access to your brain because they cover the ears. Given that the brain is often a bit lazy, it prefers the close input of music over the more distant, certainly more difficult input from the eyes that it must "work on" to understand.
I guess I will have to work on keeping myself from having my music right in my ears. I bet the next battle around here will be the lyrics of my music. When it comes to grownups and their belligerent persistence, you just can't win.
Comments
It's true that earbuds can
It's true that earbuds can be a problem - they can boost the sound signal by as much as 6-9 decibels! While you've got them on, you just don't realize how loud the sound is...
i listen to music in foreign
i listen to music in foreign languages, so i cant really focus on the lyrcis but it still gives me that sense of actually listening to music with more than just instrumentation.
A Little Music While You Study or Learn!
I am sorry every parent out there has their own rules. However, I studied with my stereo blasting freely in my room, in those days during the 70's it was Led Zepplin or The Moody Blues. Harmless. I passed my SATS within the top percentile. Nevermind the SATS, I was accepted into college my Junior year. Pace University did not care that my SAT was not in yet, because my drawing and art portfolio was outstanding. I must say, there have been very few art studios where music is banned. I feel it uplifts the soul and broadens the mind. I have three son's. I never told them to turn off their music. One is a had his jurors doctrate in law, another is an aeronautic engineer getting his doctrate since coming home from Iraq. He always remained on task to music. My youngest is in medical school and lives with Ipods plugs in his ears. I do not care how they choose to get their individual tasks finished and work into their doctrates just as long as they all do it. I have three out of three whom use to blast music prior the ipod. However I did also.
Music is healing and has been prooven by science to " Certainly" wake up multi tasking in the brain. What is wrong with multi taskers? This is normally a gift you are born with, and I could see how if people are lacking it, they think your in a manic mode if your doing more then four things at a time. Oh it is possible. I would suggest shutting your bedroom or study door. I did and this way it was certainly " My Space". I learned better this way. Certainly noone wish's bickering about music. I do think you probably are a multi tasker living with those whom prefer to perform one thing at a time. Not a thing wrong professionally speaking with either case, just stick to your own routine and allow them to stick to theirs. I feel music inspires, it has been played on the womb for fetus's and stimulates the brain prior birth. It is an important part of our world and an important part of my own creativity. I hope you broker a deal with your family that allows you to study with music on. I am inspired by music to also write. I wish you the best this year and pray you will have ipod as a resuloution to your problem? I have 23 cousins in CT whom all study with their Music. I have to state majority wins. Keep up your wonderful articles they are awesome, very informative and lovely light reading.
blasting music
This is such a great comment -thank you. My parents love "blasting" music themselves and they also understand the addictive power music has (especially on young people). They still prefer that I have it on in the background instead of my ears. Fortunately they moved on to pestering my little sister about it so it looks like I'm off the hook.
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