By: Colleen Meosky and Omer Sarac
Noise-canceling headphones have often been the subject of skepticism, and there is a long-standing debate about whether or not listening to music can improve student performance. While neither are perfect, they can be very helpful with focus and reducing stress.
Many people use noise-canceling headphones, but not a lot of people know how they actually work. On the inside of noise-canceling headphones are miniature microphones whose sole purpose is to pick up outside noise. That outside noise is played back in the headphones but half a wavelength late causing an interaction between the sounds that causes silence of both sounds. This all happens while still letting whatever you are listening to be audible. This is displayed in the image below and it is quite cool.
A good pair of these headphones don’t block out voices, which is useful for safety and mom calling you down for dinner. The noticeable difference comes with the headphones’ excellent effectiveness at eliminating white noise. For those who can’t ignore the buzz of the lightbulbs or hum of the fridge, noise-canceling headphones provide much-needed relief from constant overstimulation that distracts from the tasks at hand.
Headphones have been determined as great tools for people with ADHD in particular. Students with ADHD commonly experience difficulty concentrating on their work due to a heightened sensitivity to noise. After many hours toiling away, trying to tune out the irrelevant auditory stimuli, frustration and anxiety are likely to arise, making it even harder to finish work. However, if the headphones tune out the noise for them, the students have an easier time focusing on what they need to get done.
Another aid in relieving anxiety and promoting focus is listening to music with the headphones. Some teachers and caregivers suggest this while others argue that listening to music while you work is signing yourself up for more distraction. Both of these sides have merit, as it truly depends on what type of music a student listens to while they study.
While it’s a fun album, studying to Back in Black will likely make you bang your head more than put those vocab terms in it. However, classical scores can enhance your focus. This doesn’t mean you have to only listen to Mozart if that’s not your taste. A good option could be trying out your favorite movies’ soundtracks, like the Harry Potter franchise. Other useful music could be slow jazz standards or even soft electronic. In general, instrumental and slower tempo music is preferable to upbeat, vocal songs. It may take some trial and error to discover what works for you, but it can boost your mood and focus as you work.
People’s senses vary in reactivity, so no focusing method can be one-size fits all. There are a few significant downsides to using noise-canceling headphones. It can be hazardous for people to decrease awareness of your surroundings if in public. For that reason, administration reminds students that they can only have one ear bud in at a time, and headphones are not allowed to prevent students from missing important announcements. An effective pair of noise-canceling headphones can be quite expensive. For instance, the Bose QuietComfort 45 model is remarkably successful at reducing background noise and producing high-quality audio, but it comes at the steep price of $249.00.
Finding relaxing and unobtrusive background music is a good first step in improving your studying routine with little to no consequence, accounting for the trial and error period. If you find that you do not have a major issue concentrating, music with regular headphones or a speaker may be all you need. However, if you experience significant difficulty focusing, noise-canceling headphones are likely a wise investment.
