Listening to music has been deliberated over time as to whether it counts as screen time or not. Music encompasses various activities that provide melody, harmony, rhythm, expression, and communication within an individual or across groups. It is considered a universal task often engaged in by numerous people, promoting a sense of togetherness and humor and fostering a more relaxed environment for its listeners.
Screen time, on the other hand, correlates with every time you spend gazing at a device screen. This could be watching the television, laptop, computer system, iPad, or phone. Screen time has been known to result in specific health concerns over the years. Excess screen time could lead to an excessive release of dopamine, which could harm the body’s overall well-being.
While screen time can offer educational benefits, excessive use can lead to significant issues. Research has linked the overuse of technology to delays in social development and cognitive skills in children and adolescents. This accounts for the importance of finding a balance and exploring alternative activities. Some examples of these activities could be outdoor play, reading books, engaging in arts and crafts, or even cooking together.
Introduction
Listening to music is a widespread activity that can be a highly suitable replacement for screen time. It often involves using the ear alone to receive the sounds and rhythm of songs with no eyes involved. Does Listening to music count as screen time? The answer to this question is “No.”
Listening to music generally is not termed as screen time when the eyes are not involved, and all we do is listen to audio streaming of sounds; however, when it requires the use of the eyes in the form of a music video from a television screen, streaming a song on YouTube with your iPad, or a general video recording will be classified as a part of screen time. This distinction is crucial for understanding how to manage your child’s and adults’ personal activities.
Table of Contents
Benefits of listening to Music over Screen time
Over the years, music has been known to have enormous benefits to the brain and even the body at large, with its listeners experiencing and expressing tremendous value. We often listen to music while engaging in activities like reading, walking, and sleeping to give a more flexible and relaxing environment.
The benefits of listening to music over screen time include the following:
Mental Alertness: Music provides a positive feel to the brain, creating a relaxed and happy mood for individuals. This helps eliminate stress, anxiety, and depression, thereby promoting a relatively pleasant space and emotion to function effectively.
When music fills the air, it allows for mindfulness, sharpening our attention to the task. This heightened focus enables us to tackle our assignments effectively without worries or pressures.
Memory Improvement: Music can promote memory retention and recall. Listening to music while studying or engaging in learning activities can improve concentration, focus, information retention, and cognitive performance. Certain types of music, such as classical music, have been mainly linked to memory enhancement, especially in adults.
Connection: Music often brings people of like minds or the same cultural heritage together. It calls for social connection among individuals, providing an opportunity for creating memories and sharing experiences with friends, colleagues, and even family members.
This gathering helps build and strengthen relationships, provides a sense of ownership of specific values and cultures, and further promotes the concept of community.
Sleep Value: Music, compared to screen time, helps significantly improve the quality and length of sleep. This is because music creates a soothing environment, which positively influences the overall well-being of the human body, making the sleeping experience more enjoyable. On the other hand, screen time, with its blue light emissions, can disrupt sleep, which is a cause for concern.
Mind Engagement: Listening to music allows for mindful thinking and meditation as it channels one’s attention to the music, rhythm, and lyrics. Music minimizes wondering thoughts and ensures the mind is well-engaged, promoting an enjoyable atmosphere and preventing all forms of negativity.
Creativity and Inspiration: Music can spark creativity and inspiration, whether through songwriting, playing of instruments, composing, or simply listening to innovative and thought-provoking enriching podcasts. Engaging with music can stimulate the imagination and encourage creative thinking in ways that screen time cannot.
Musicians use their imagination, intuition, and technical skills to create, perform, and interpret music in new and inventive ways.
Cognitive Development in Children: Early exposure to music positively affects children’s mental development, including language acquisition, emotional development and regulation, spatial-temporal reasoning, and fostering teamwork and collaboration.
Listening to music also helps children develop motor skills like dancing and clapping, which improves their coordination. Thus, restricting screen time in favor of listening to music can help young children achieve these developmental benefits.
Personal Identity and Self-Reflection: Music, with its transformative power, can serve as a mirror through which individuals explore and define their identities, beliefs, values, and aspirations. Different genres, artists, and songs may resonate with other aspects of a person’s identity, allowing them to embrace diversity and complexity and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Listening to music is a tool for reflection, as it carries profound messages, stories, and thoughts that invite listeners to reflect on their personal experiences. Through the active interpretation and contextualization of lyrics and themes, individuals can gain personal insights, leading to self-discovery.
Emotional Expression: Music is an effective way of expressing emotions, helping listeners connect with and process their feelings. Music, whether through lyrics that relate to personal experiences or instrumental melodies that trigger specific emotions, can help individuals explore and express their deepest thoughts and feelings.
How can individuals include listening to music into their daily routine?
-Explore audio applications or tools to enjoy various genres of music daily. Examples include Spotify, YouTube, Boomplay, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, and local radio.
-Create your playlist tailored to the various moods and experiences you want to feel. Understand the type of song you want to listen to when you are bored, compared to when you want to concentrate on a task, when you have a friend’s hangout time, and when you want to go to bed. This ensures that the group listing provides maximum satisfaction to its users.
-Including playtime, such as attending a live performance, show, or concert of your favorite artists once a month or once every quarter, could also be all the energy booster you need for your well-being. This will also promote social connectivity among individuals.
– Sharing your favorite songs, albums, or playlists with friends, family, or online communities. Discussing music with others can deepen connections, spark conversations, and introduce you to new perspectives and recommendations.
Listening to music in one’s daily routine also works well, giving one a vibrant outlook all day and eliminating stress and anxiety. You could listen to music while driving to work, take your morning bath all day, study for concentration, or prepare or eat your meals during the day.
– Taking an active stage in making your music also provides this soothing impact. Engage in activities like singing, playing the instrument, or dancing. Join a community or church choir, take music lessons, or participate in amateur music groups or jam sessions. Making music with others fosters social connections, boosts confidence, and provides a creative path for self-expression.
-Give back to your community by volunteering or supporting music education programs in schools, community centers, or nonprofit organizations. Offer your time, resources, or expertise to help promote music appreciation, access, and education for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Conclusion
Scientific research has consistently shown that music offers its listeners many remarkable benefits. It stimulates the brain, promoting alertness, calm, and relaxation. By enhancing concentration and memory retention, music contributes to our overall well-being.
It’s not just a generic recommendation; it’s a personal investment in our well-being. By incorporating music into our daily lives and reducing screen time, we can experience improved cognitive function, increased productivity, and a greater sense of comfort and pleasure. Listening to music ensures the maintenance of the heart and soul and helps us embark on self-discovery and purpose fulfillment.
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Music is like food to the soul. I used to be in choir in high school but now I’m just a bathroom singer. lol. My son loves to sing and I’ll do my best to harness that talent as it does have a lot of benefits- physical and mental. Thanks for this piece