I would like to discuss the topic of students being allowed to listen to music in school. At our school, some teachers permit students to use their earbuds while working and some do not. 

Music is a huge part of our culture. It has many health benefits and can influence someone’s mood drastically and because of that, academic performance increases. It raises IQ, strengthens learning and memory, decreases stress, decreases depression, and increases happiness. I’ve noticed in some classrooms, listening to music is prohibited. Do you want to take away a students’ happiness and success just because of this one con compared to the many pros music has?

First, music has a powerful influence on one’s mood. When you listen to music, your brain releases dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that leads to increased feelings of happiness, excitement, and joy. Music is also credited in being a natural anti-depressant. This is because certain tunes cause the release of serotonin and dopamine in the brain that lead to increased feelings of happiness and well-being. Listening to even 15 minutes of music you enjoy can increase your mood.

Although there are many benefits to listening to music in the classroom, I understand there are some other cons people can see in listening to music in class. I researched on debate.org for opinions of the opposing side. One argued that it can distract from learning because the student will be listening to music when the teacher is teaching and will miss critical information to the lesson. I agree with some of these, but, I have a counterargument.

When a teacher is done talking and the students are doing an assignment, students should be allowed to listen to their music. On the topic on it being a distraction, dead silence is also a distraction to some students. On debtate.org, there was a student who said they had ADD and sitting in silence is distracting to them and their mind wanders when they aren’t listening to music.

Music has many different benefits ranging from increasing happiness to strengthening memory and learning. Even though many of different opinions of why students shouldn’t listen to their music, such as it might distract some students, I still stand by allowing students to listen to music. Are you willing to consider the studies and facts supported by my statement and let my peers and many students across the district continue doing their work while listening to beneficial music crucial to their success and well-being?

Thank you for taking the time to consider my stance on this topic.