Headphones in School: To Listen or Not to Listen

Written December 1, 2016

A popular item in many student’s backpack, and a popular cause of students getting in trouble: headphones. 

No matter what type of music you like, a song or artist can impact your mood, focus, and even your ability to pay attention to what’s going on around you. Many times when writing an essay or doing an important paper in class, all you want to do is listen to music. But should music be allowed when doing independent classwork? 

“In classes, when you take out the headphones, it’s so hard to write and concentrate with so many people distracting you. I think that’s why so many kids really want to be able to have that sound instead of the talking,” says Ava Heal, a freshman here at LHS.

According to a study at Stanford University, music increasingly helps the brain’s focus when doing simple tasks. Music is known to have many effects on people. It can excite us, depress us, and reduce anxiety. In school, when students are learning and studying all day, music can really help out in the aspect of relieving stress. 

Unfortunately, music also can have negative effects on our studies. Music with lyrics can easily distract. When listening to words put to the music, the brain tends to focus on the words being blasted in your ears, and not so much the work in front of you. 

When you give kids permission to listen to music independently, it may cause them to listen to it during lectures, and while teachers and administrators are speaking to them, which defeats the purpose of music helping focus and learning.

“I do see many issues with kids listening to music during class, like being distracted and focusing on the music itself. But I find that some kid’s chatter less when listening to it,” says Mr. Yip, a well known history teacher at LHS.

While music is a way to feel emotion and alleviate stress, is it an effective tool for school?