Everyday, cell phones become more and more common in the everyday classroom. They can be used as a learning tool or as a distraction for certain students.

In an average classroom, one can find a handful of students with headphones in their ears listening to music. Some teachers allow the use of cell phones and listening to music, while others do not.

“I think that is it helpful if students are doing individual work or working in groups,” said Alyssa Perry, math teacher.  “But it could be distracting if they have music on while their teacher is giving instruction or modeling a problem and they wouldn’t understand it.”

“I think that listening to music during class is distracting if I’m teaching a lesson but for individual work it’s fine,” said Irene Bickert, science teacher. 

Most students will stand behind the fact that it is a way of learning for them and can be beneficial to helping them concentrate on their work.

“I think it helps me concentrate because I like background noise,” said Carly Sakosits, a freshman.  “When I study at home I put the TV on.”

A lot of students agree with the idea that music is helpful for studying in and out of class.

“I think it’s good because it keeps you from getting distracted from other things,” said Michael Scialdone, a sophomore.

Students who listen to music throughout class have to take into consideration their classmates, who may find the music too loud and distracting.  Therefore, they need to keep the volume to a minimum.

“It can be helpful because it is there way of learning but it doesn’t distract me because it’s low,” said Angie Deaett, a sophomore. 

There are some cons to listening to music during class.  Music can cause the students to zone out or cause them to focus on the current song playing rather than the work right in front of them.

Headphones can be beneficial for some people to concentrate.  Despite controversy, there isn’t much of a distraction created through the use of music and phones during class.  It can even be a helpful study tool for students who suffer from stress.