Rock, Rap, Jazz, R&B, and Pop are all different genres of music that people listen to. Each person listens to a different genre to take them through a certain part of their life, like maybe Rap when you’re getting ready for a big game or whatever you may listen to when you’re stressed out.
It’s shown in multiple studies that music can be used to help people concentrate when it’s played in the background. Mind wandering, which is common in people today, may be as high as 70%. People might use music to bring their mind back to whatever they’re doing or, if not that, for something as simple as helping the time pass by quicker.
When asked about this topic junior Celine Ando stated, “Music helps take me through my shift at work while doing chores like cleaning, but depending on the music it can count as a distraction.” Music helps Celine focus on tasks that don’t require a lot of attention, but she admits at times it can distract her depending on the type of music. Certain music is scientifically proven to enhance focusing, for example, classical music.
Studies show that classical music is best for studying and trying to focus because it is said to have a slow tempo, little to no lyrics, and a repetitive nature. This is because this music is easy to follow and helps most people stay calm because of the simple beats and repetition. This music also minimizes distraction from what may be happening around you, like people talking or even distractions in your mind.
People who get distracted often have mind wandering, which is when an individual’s thoughts shift away from the task at hand; what might be easier is when they play music as a background to reel them in when their mind starts to wander. Senior Sydnie Gleason, who has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), says that sometimes when she gets distracted music helps bring her back to whatever she’s doing. It helps her focus on that certain task.
Although music can help bring you back to your duty it can also count as a distraction. For example, when you have a demanding task that may require extensive thinking and you’re listening to a verbose song, it can require too much attention because you would be more focused on the lyrics and what’s happening in the song vs what you’re supposed to be doing.
Music has elements that when you listen to it release dopamine in your brain. It can be used as a reward to yourself as you’re doing work so it motivates you to do more. This leads to an increase in session productivity. It can boost your mood, which in general puts you in a better mood to do something you might not like, for example going to work or cleaning.
In conclusion, depending on the task you may be doing or the amount of focus you may need, Music can be a rewarding motivating factor, or it can break your distraction and prolong your study session. In the end, it depends on what type of person you are and your ability to focus. Listening to music while studying or doing chores can be beneficial.
