One earbud in, then the other, followed by the sound of music. In a generation where almost every student has a pair of earbuds and a phone, the usage of music is seen everywhere from classrooms to hallways. Whether listening to personal favorites or to popular pop songs whose lyrics were changed to be educational, music can be a double edge sword. It can either be a learning tool or a major distraction.

Countless studies and scientific research have been done in order to see the effects of music on learning. While some claim that listening to music stimulates concentration and academic improvement, there are many who still question its validity: Are the benefits of music larger than the distractions it imposes towards the learning process?

According to a study done by the University of Phoenix, listening to lyrical music while studying or completing schoolwork creates a huge distraction. The study found that the brain struggles to process both things while done at the same time. It also found that by multitasking school work and music, students are more prone to forgetting certain tasks and bits of knowledge they need the most for learning. They also concluded that it causes less absorption of information, less efficiency in reading or writing tasks, difficulty in recalling information, and a disruption in focusing.

Aside from cons, music still holds many beneficial factors which include de-stressing, aid in endurance, and the increase of motivation. Scientists have found that music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function. Music has the power to change the brain and affect the way it works. It has been found that music has a profound influence on mood, potentially elevating the positive aspects of mood, such as excitement and happiness and reducing depression, tension, fatigue, and anger.

When asked about these effects, Sophomore Alma Valdez said, “I love listening to music especially when studying or completing homework, but I definitely think that it can affect the way you learn. I think that song lyrics can be a distraction while working on certain school subjects such as English or math. Sometimes, music makes it harder to concentrate or focus when I’m reading or working on my math homework.”
While many agree that music can be a distraction at times, others think like Sophomore Ashley Hernandez, who said, “To me, music isn’t a distraction. I think that instead of being a distraction it helps me concentrate better because I’m able to drown out other students and focus on finishing my homework or classwork.”

While students are the participants of this trend, teachers are often the observers.

Mrs. Williams, Counselor from Gear Up, gave her opinion on the usage of music in classrooms. “When I think of music in classrooms, I lean more towards it being a distraction. I think the majority of kids can’t handle the responsibility of when to listen to music and when to not. Do I believe that there are benefits? Yes. There’s research out there that proves music has many benefits. It’s just that, when there’s a room full of 30 students with earbuds, it becomes more of a distraction than a benefit.”

Upon the question if music holds  more benefits or distractions for students, Chani Perret, English teacher, said, “I think it depends. Some use it as a distraction, while others use it as a way to drown down the distractions.”