THE OPTION of listening to music in school is nonexistent at Townsend Harris, where demerits are given out to students for simply having a pair of earphones. However, students should have the opportunity to listen to tracks while exercising or studying to increase their productivity and overall mood. Various scientific studies have proven that music helps people when studying and exercising. Due to these advantages, school regulations should be more lenient about the usage of headphones throughout the school day.
According to an article published by the New York Times, listening to music while exercising gives people motivation to put more effort into the activity. Research also suggests that music distracts people from the fatigue they could be experiencing during moderate exercise. At THHS, physical education grades stem from workouts ranging from running to weightlifting, most of which are independent, so listening to music would not pose a problem. Mile times could improve due to the fact that more students are able to implement music they enjoy into the workout. Work rate could also increase as a result of this new motivation, leading to increased productivity.
Studies also show that music benefits students when studying or doing academic work because they are able to maintain concentration and eliminate distractions.
Some students have free bands throughout the day in which they have the opportunity to study for an upcoming test or complete some work. During this time interval, they should be able to listen to music because they would not be disrupting lessons and won’t need to pay attention to a lesson.
Some teachers may argue that music would impair a student’s attention, leading to safety problems that could result from not following instructions.
To fix this potential issue, teachers can enforce requirements such as using headphones during individual class work time or maintaining the volume of music at an appropriate level so that the student can still hear any instructions given by teachers or administrators.
It is unfair to give out demerits to students just for having their headphones out when entering the building.
Students should not be given demerits for listening to music in moments of independent activity, whether it be physical exercise or academic work.
Allowing students to listen to music in such moments would not only benefit the students, but also the entire school because students will be able to relieve their stress and concentrate better throughout the school day.
