When was the last time you walked to class without your headphones on? It’s such a mundane habit that we don’t think twice about it. Why should we – anything that makes that 9am tutorial more bearable right?
Studies have shown that our attention spans are getting shorter; the APA ,the Guardian, and TIME Magazine have all published articles explaining the phenomenon. Not only are our attention spans getting shorter, but we also seem to be requiring more stimulation for more situations. This can range from listening to music while walking around, to having a Netflix show on in the background while studying.
The BBC’s 2016 article on increased multitasking is as relevant as ever, noting our minds’ inability to move from one task to another successfully without giving the previous task some thought . Cleveland Clinic published their perspective in 2021, noting that only 2.5% of people can effectively multitask, so if we’re all doing it, imagine what we could achieve by putting energy into one task at a time.
Speaking to a handful of students around campus, it became obvious that this is something we are undeniably affected by.
When asked if she relies on digital stimulation, third year Sofia claims that she feels like she’s “always listening to something,” similarly, second years Emma and Dhairya say they would be bored without music.
This is a point worth noting, why would anyone stop doing something if it’s giving them enjoyment?
Those that rely on music and podcasts to go about their day reflect on what would happen if they were forced to walk around without access to it. Dhairya notes that he would appreciate nature more, something that Edinburgh is not short of. Other respondents aren’t as optimistic, saying they’d over-analyse situations with more time to think. Some even say they couldn’t do it, maybe an exaggeration but not far from the truth.
In contrast to those that say they rely on media for multitasking, others say they are overstimulated at times- whether it be the busyness of a Sunday evening in Lidl or the walk down the Royal Mile, the bustling city leaves many wanting to pull out their earplugs.
As I’m writing this, I’ve lost my headphones and have gone two weeks without them. There are moments when I’d like to have them but it’s also freeing in a way I couldn’t have understood before. The past two weeks, I’ve appreciated music more when I can listen to it, for the simple reason that I can’t most of the time (who knows what would happen if I started blasting Gracie Abrams in the library). Distance makes the heart grow fonder but I’m going to have to buy a new pair of headphones ASAP.
When asking about getting distracted in lectures I received an array of answers. From watching Netflix to playing Wordle there’s no end to what we could do with access to screens for fifty minutes in a lecture theatre. Sitting at the back of Gordon Aikman at 5pm on a Tuesday, thoughts about dinner plans flood my mind and as I look around it’s painfully clear that my peers are just as easily distracted. With access to endless information at our fingertips it’s tempting to respond to a quick email, followed by another and another. Second year Bella says “I do other tasks…like post on Facebook for my society or respond to people. It depends on if the lecture is interesting or not. A lot of people play Wordle, Connections or crosswords.”
Multitasking while studying seems to be equally popular. The types of music students listen to when studying ranges from instrumental to lo-fi. Emma recommends listening to whale sounds and Elisa, the Dune and Normal People Soundtracks. The options are endless and what better way than to test it out during midterms. Some prefer not to listen to music while studying, unable to multitask while writing essay or learning grammar rules.
Talking to students with varied degree programmes, it’s clear that we aren’t oblivious to the effects of social media, and we can even use it to our benefit. Yet however easy it may be to reach for our headphones when going for a walk or open up GeoGuessr during a lecture, we might all benefit from every so often taking a step back and remembering to disconnect.
Illustration by Mia Williams.