> > Other studies suggest that people who frequently “media multitask” (like listening to music while checking email or scrolling through social media while watching a movie) are more distracted and less able to focus their attention even when they’re performing only one task.
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> This was novel to me. Listening to music negatively affects your ability to focus? I guess it's time to throw out my headphones...
The part about Movies and Social media makes sense. They are both "heavy" tasks, so they each have their demand. But Music? I would say it depends on the music. Some is distracting, some not. There is optimized music for concentration, usually found in video games. But there is also "heavy" music that demands your attention, IMHO usually those with lyrics, especially inspirational lyrics.
I'm curious whether they checked the type of music in those studies.
The part about Movies and Social media makes sense. They are both "heavy" tasks, so they each have their demand. But Music? I would say it depends on the music. Some is distracting, some not. There is optimized music for concentration, usually found in video games. But there is also "heavy" music that demands your attention, IMHO usually those with lyrics, especially inspirational lyrics.
I'm curious whether they checked the type of music in those studies.