Do your teens listen to music while studying?

@Righttoo Yes, absolutely.

I don’t really pay attention to the lyrics though, it’s more about the energy. I swing between soothing and familiar if I’m stressed, versus more energising if I am feeling sluggish and lazy.

It’s a bit like I have a toddler at the back of my brain who needs to be kept entertained. Once there’s sorted, the conscious bit of my mind is free to concentrate and often I tune out of the music altogether and am not that aware of it, but just feel more settled. The music positively helps me to work more productively.

Yes. DD did. She has always done well in exams.

I used to. I remember listening to Dark Side of the Moon on repeat when I was doing my A levels.

I am academically v successful and always listened to music while revising - in fact I still do now when WFH in an intellectually demanding job.

I find it positively soothes my brain and enables me to really tap into a deep state of concentration. Without it I am very distractable and far less efficient - unless my brain is kept “happy” in this way I am much more likely to seek out a cup of tea or start scrolling on my phone.

One does one doesn't.

I always had to have music or tv re-runs on while doing school work, and as a mid-30s professional I still do. I've experimented a lot with various types of background noise to find what works for specific situations, but sitting in a quiet office is the absolute least productive option for me. I can't drown out all the random sounds (people breathing, birds, an HVAC switching over, keyboards clicking...) or the random chatter of my brain otherwise.

Encourage your teen to try different options and see what allows them to work most efficiently for each subject and type of work. Maths can be totally different to a reading subject for example.

One of my daughters listens to it while doing homework but can't when actually revising or preparing for a test as it distracts her too much. Also when she's learning something for the first time, like Maths, she can't concentrate with music in the back which frustrates her! My other one loves it and listens constantly to help her get over the boredom of studying but I often walk in to see her dancing instead of working!!! My son doesn't listen to music at all while studying but he's not too big on music anyway.

Yes and so do I. Oldest dc always has an AirPod in!

I always used to study with the TV on (something mindless and easy) and recently undertook an MBA and I did all my studying with The Office US in the background. I can't study in silence. Definitely don't make rules on this, some people's brains need the background noise to concentrate

People work in different ways. I always listen to music on headphones when I'm working and really want to focus, it just helps somehow.
I find people talking or tv really distracting though

Yes. It becomes a background noise - it's not like listening to a podcast.

I always did - I can't concentrate in "silence", it never is truly silent, there is always something out there which can be a distraction, music helped me focus. ( I did v well in exams!)

My very academic DD did and does. I encouraged by DSs to try it but they not keen. I used to when I was a teen and it deffo helped me.

I think the type of music matters. Helps with the retention of information.

Doesn’t work for me but I know it works for a lot of people. I wouldn’t be laying down any rules about this as I think it could be counterproductive,

Yes, they've always got their headphones on and work better with it (they have had no difficulty with the silence in exam rooms either with excellent results in GCSE and A levels). We never have music on generally in the house but they are free to listen as much as they like with headphones. I work better with talk in the background but low so I am not properly listening, just the sound of voices). Can't work to music though. Again I have no difficulty with silence im exam rooms though, it's hard to explain but it's a different type of focus.

I did, for all my A-levels. Did well enough to make Cambridge. Assuming they’re achieving I wouldn’t blink. If they’re struggling then it’s worth seeing if it’s causing a problem.

I find it much easier to concentrate with music on in the background, but it has to be mainly instrumental. I still do it now when I need to focus at work, and my teen does the same.

My three all listened to music All have done extremely well with GCSE'S and AA*s at A Level

Yes, but classical
Music with no words!

I always did but studies show that you should not listen to music with lyrics.

Strangely I can't do music as I find it too emotionally distracting but spoken word is okay so long as it's quite slow paced and not too interesting. (A TV documentary where they go over old ground quite a lot and intercut it with moody B-roll. Radio is too talky normally, unless I'm not interested in the subject in the slightest).

Sometimes I actively need the chatter in the background to focus my brain

I did but jazz not things with lyrics.

We discourage it most of the time, but sometimes they do. They never use headphones while studying, but occasionally have a speaker on with music while they are writing up notes during term time.

When it comes to actual revision closer to exams then it’s a hard no. Their schools actively discourage it too as they have noted that there is absolute silence in exam halls and they really have to learn to be able to concentrate in silence.

Other than studying, music is on in our home almost constantly during waking hours, but we do want to encourage a different mindset while studying, and with both DH and DS so easily distracted, we do think the practice of working in silence is good for them.

61 a as bd I did and still do when wfh. 😊😊

I don't think you should insist he stops. I do all my best work with music on, working from home.

No current teens, but I used to revise to music and my now adult dd had her headphones on when doing homework and/or revising to cut out the distractions.