Does an iPod Help You Concentrate? (And Other Questions About Attention)(tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com)
tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com
Does an iPod Help You Concentrate? (And Other Questions About Attention)
http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/does-an-ipod-help-you-concentrate-and-other-questions-about-attention/?hp
7 comments
An iPod doesn't help me concentrate, but sometimes music does.
(...) but it has to be techno I've heard before (...)
I've noticed lately that listening to music with headphones helps me focus more than listening to it through speakers. I'm assuming this is because the headphones make the music the only thing I hear, where as with speakers the music is just another thing I hear.
Exactly what I was going to write! :P
I find it really easy to tune out to music I've heard before, But it has to be to a good rhythm if there is too much irregularity I'll get put off
The days I forget my iPod are horrible, unproductive days.
I think that has to do with my noisyish work environment more than anything, since I can code at home with or without music. Though it may also be related to the way working at work works (sit at your desk and produce stuff for the next 9 hours)...
But as far as music goes, I'll listen to anything I like and know. Anything new is distracting until I've heard it a few times, but that's about it.
I think that has to do with my noisyish work environment more than anything, since I can code at home with or without music. Though it may also be related to the way working at work works (sit at your desk and produce stuff for the next 9 hours)...
But as far as music goes, I'll listen to anything I like and know. Anything new is distracting until I've heard it a few times, but that's about it.
Music with lyrics = distraction.
Instrumental movie soundtracks work for me.
Same for me. I can handle some Pink Floyd and other really familiar music, but mostly it's Apocalyptica (metal on chellos) or soundtracks. I recently started listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtracks, but the track where the orcs are slaving away under Isengard is depressing to work to.
iPods destroy my productivity because all I have on them are audiobooks and NPR podcasts. It's very hard to listen to a good episode of This American Life and get anything done.
I can't even concentrate with Hacker News on my RSS feed... I don't know how I could cope with an iPod!
I find it difficult to code without some sort of music playing in my ears, normally because it helps block out any distractions around me.
For the past few months I've been listening to SomaFM ( http://soma.fm/ ) almost non-stop. It's listener supported commercial free radio so there's no annoying ads to interrupt you, just a constant stream of the genre of your choice. Works for me anyway!
For the past few months I've been listening to SomaFM ( http://soma.fm/ ) almost non-stop. It's listener supported commercial free radio so there's no annoying ads to interrupt you, just a constant stream of the genre of your choice. Works for me anyway!
I never go anywhere without my iPod and my Mindfold http://www.mindfold.com/, one to shut out sound and one to shut out light.
Interestingly, a walk around the block can do wonders for my concentration too. This fails horribly if something really catches my eye though. Girls are bad like that :)