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| Calming | 81% | 780 votes | Total: 968 votes | |
| Distracting | 19% | 188 votes |
Calming
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Music is a part of life. That is the largest point one would like to make. In a debate like this, there is really no answer, but opinion reigns supreme. This writer, personally, feels that music is a calming factor in the work place. With the many dead moments that you find on a job, having the background noise is something that often helps and keeps the mind from searching for anything to keep busy.
In working in the fast food industry, I have been able to work in both a workplace with music, and a workplace without. What I have found is that I am very much more comfortable in a workplace that I can hear music in. The more people I ask about this topic, the more I feel that this is a correct assessment for most people.
Music is something that is used in all sorts of situations. They play certain music in shopping malls to make it a calming experience, and it works. They play certain music in clubs to make it seem exciting and fun. The same happens in the workplace. Often, employers will play music that promotes both the comfortableness of customers and guests, as well as the contentment of their staff.
I feel that it is a good idea to do so. Though we may not realize it, music is something that is in our every step. There is not a day gone by that I do not feel grateful that my boss has decided to put a radio in the break room that plays daily. It gives an environment which is comfortable, as well as it provides entertainment in those moments that we have nothing else to occupy ourselves.
For no matter how much we wish it, we cannot stay busy all the time. There just isn't enough to do.
Though, I do realize that if the wrong music is played, it can turn into something terrible. So my opinion is only this direction because the music is correct in the situation. It isn't right to play something like hard rock or heavy metal while working in such a place that needs to be a calm and comfortable environment. While I am at home, however, these music types are appropriate for doing my dishes to. There is no end to the pleasure one receives on hearing angry music while doing a chore one hates. But at work, I need to concentrate on the work, so softer music is needed.
I can't imagine what it would be like to listen to music in an office job, but I do believe that I would want at least a little bit of background noise, else I would go insane.
Music is a part of life. I realize that I repeat this, but I cannot help myself. It is an important idea. Every moment in our life is set to beats and rhythms, though sometimes we seldom notice. Not a moment goes by that I don't have a song buzzing in my head, brought to me by some random beat that I hear. Like the sound of my footsteps, or someone's breathing, or even the clatter of silverware on plates.
It's quite a delicious idea.
So is music in the workplace a distraction? Yes. But it is probably the most calming distraction one could ever have around them.
Learn more about this author, Mortia Valentine.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Distracting
We all love a bit of music to listen to during the day. A good song can lift our mood and has a direct link to altering our emotional state for both feelings of elation and sadness. Many people listen to music to help them unwind and relax, but the work environment isn't the place to either relax or unwind.
When we are at work we need to concentrate on the task in hand and should your favorite song come onto the radio you will be more likely to be concentrating on singing along to the lyric than the task you are being paid to do. Work colleagues could be injured due to the momentary lapse of their co-worker because his mind was busy relaxing to his favorite song rather than paying attention to the machinery or plant tools that he should have been watching.
My profession has me climbing ladders all day and I once tried taking my MP3 player to work to help pass the day. Once the music started to play I simply couldn't concentrate on what I was doing and had to switch it off from fear of falling of my ladder. This proved to me that music was a major distraction and not something that was appropriate for the working environment.
There are some jobs where the distraction of music doesn't have the possibility of being detrimental to a workers health but I still believe that productivity will be greatly decreased due to the employee stopping from time to time to listen to their latest favorite track.
Arguments can be made that we listen to music in our cars when driving and we don't crash left, right and center. A great many road accidents occur when drivers are too busy trying to actually find the right CD or radio frequency and are so pre-occupied that they take their eye off the road and the next thing they know is that they have smashed into another innocent motorist. The excuse they could offer wouldn't go down well, 'Sorry Officer, I was trying to find my Britney Spears CD in the glove box and didn't see the other car'. A conviction for careless driving would be the officers response.
Music is a wonderful gift and I would not like to see it outlawed or have a smear campaign ran against it, its just that there is a time and place for its presence and the work place is not one of them. Wait until you get home to turn on the stereo so you can sing and dance your way round the house, or when you go to the local bar even but for the sake of your colleagues safety and your work ethic; keep your mind on the job until clocking off time.
Learn more about this author, Neil Dixon.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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