Stu[dying?]
Is silence dying?
Why do we need music to study when students in previous generations did not have it? Is it unnatural to work while listening?
My parents often berate me, telling me to listen to silence, to not listen to music. They quip how the increased use of smartphones have led for the youth to need constant stimulation. I wonder if we have become addicted to stimulation, as our brains have been rewired to crave going on our phone, or to listen to music to sate our crippled minds, riddled with boredom as we do assignments. I do find that sometimes I prefer silence when studying, but I also have a proclivity for taking little phone breaks while working. To try to combat the urge to do something more fun than work, I like to listen to music to put me in a good mood and to keep me from utter boredom, thus increasing my focus and ability to work.
I think almost all of my friends and acquaintances listen to music while studying for the same, or a similar reason. Our addiction to phones, and subsequent addiction to music, has made us often unable to stand listening to silence. Just today, I talked with a friend who said that when it is silent, their ears hurt because they are used to being with family, friends, or listening to music all the time. Constant stimulation. Now while music may inhibit short-term memory performance and reduce productivity, many youths still prefer listening to music for any, and every task.
It makes me wonder if silence is dying.
That being said, here are some songs that I love to listen to while studying!
These songs are all subdued enough to not be distracting, while still being absolute bangers that help me get through any type of assignment.
Disclaimer: because these are songs that I’ve specifically picked out, they have enough personality to actually be a little distracting while working but they serve well as a pick-me-up.
“Lobster” by Boy Called Cute just has immaculate vibes. It is a pop song that feels like a techno dream of a Californian-sunrise. Boy Called Cute are a five person indie pop/alt pop band.
Solid song. Vibes check out.
While “Lobster” felt like a Californian-sunrise, “I Can’t Handel Change” by R.O.A.R. feels like a wholesome dream of a Californian-sunset. “I Can’t Handle Change” talks about how not every bad thing that has happened to you is your fault and how it can lead to you being in places filled with toxic energy. This toxic energy can be found from a lack of peace with the world around you, and the silence that it can offer. If we cannot accept reality, and instead have to be soothed by music all the time, will we be truly able to grow?
“Stars (Interlude)” is a pop song by Killkiyoshi.
I love how in the beginning he starts singing and stops, as if he made a mistake and came in early.
In the song, Killkiyoshi sings: “Elevate your mind with your own finds.” In this we find a need for true self-reflection and a space to really think about yourself, and get to know yourself. Perhaps silence is necessary for reflection, as to be truly in tune with how you feel, you need to fully listen to what your mind and body tells you.
“YKWIM?” by Yot Club. Read my blog post for the full run down.
“YKWIM?” is a lo-fi song by Yot Club, the lo-fi band of Ryan Kaiser, who made this TikTok popular song.
It definitely generates a dopamine-overload.
“YEAH RIGHT” by Joji is a R&B/soul song that talks about fucking up his life, partying, to get over a girl. Joji is a 29 year old singer, songwriter, and comedian from Japan who used to be a YouTuber.
I love the bass in the song. I think the idea of distracting yourself from something you do not want to think about, such as listening to music during homework, can be a poor way of dealing with problems and perhaps it requires you looking at what is the root of the reason of why you feel you need to be distracted.
“this is what falling in love feels like” by JVKE is a dance/electronic pop song that aims to express its name in song form. JVKE is a 20-year hiphop/rap singer who made a few TikTok famous songs, including “Dandelion” and most popular “Upside Down” with over 70 million streams on Spotify.
Link to YouTube
Photo credits: Genius It feels like a math equation, a perfectly square song. The part where JVKE sings “This is falling, falling in love” sounds just like the Christmas song “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid when it goes “Do they know it's Christmas time at all?“ and since I love Christmas, I’ll excuse the copy catting. (Lmk if they actually got permission for this)
These songs come together to set my mind in a peaceful-enough yet delighted state, to help me get through the loads of work I have, with a mediocrely sane mind.
While I know that my phone has corroded my brain and that some researcher in the future will find that I’m probably murdering my mind as I listen to music for many tasks, good music is good music and good music needs to be listened to. It would be a crime not to listen. And in this devout nature of being a music lover, I’ve come to wonder: are we stu[dying?]
Here’s a link to a playlist of the songs! -> Creative Writing-Blog 4
