Why Teenagers Need Music (Sean)

Students wearing earbuds or headphones are common on high school campuses; Apple’s Airpods or Beat’s Fit Pros are familiar sights. Many high-school students enjoy their favorite songs as they walk to class. Why do teenagers value music, and do they listen outside of school? 

To answer these questions, I interviewed thirty-two young adults from Los Alamitos High School regarding music usage. Gender was relatively even, and respondents spanned all grade levels. To start, I asked subjects to rank music’s importance to them on a one-to-ten scale. The results were consistent, with ninety-one percent of students ranking seven or higher. A fourth of the responses were tens, and a third were eights. I then asked students how they felt during the school year. Reasons such as workload, teachers, or personal situations can cause students stress. I also wondered if music helped with the issues caused by school. All but one student felt stressed during the school year, and all but two students felt listening to music combated problems with school and elevated their positivity. So far, about ninety percent of students interviewed greatly valued music and believed it was effective in stress relief. Music helps teenagers ease their stress and is very important to them.

To branch to productivity, I focused on when students put on the music rather than why. Eighty-four percent of students listened to music while doing homework, with forty-four percent listening most of the time and an astounding forty percent tuning in every time. Only ten percent never listened, and one unique respondent only chose to for specific subjects. The next question showed eighty-five percent of teenagers interviewed enjoyed homework more while listening to music. Many students expressed their gratitude, claiming their favorite songs helped them stay awake and block out distractions. Respondents answered two more questions to solidify a conclusion: do students feel they were more productive with music and why or why not? The numbers were lower, but a majority of respondents, sixty-nine percent, claimed more work got done while listening. The subsequent answers were more personal, but most believed they would be sluggish without their favorite playlist or station. A clear majority felt more productive relying on chosen melodies. Music while working has become a crucial factor in productivity for many adolescents. 

Teenagers depend on music to get them through the day. High school students turn up the volume, solving a math problem with laser focus. Stressed from school life, young adults wear earbuds and headphones, escaping their problems and boosting their mood. Reflect on your own life. Is music important to you?