White Noise

Having music or TV on can certainly help make boring tasks more bearable (like folding laundry and that sort of thing). However, I have no idea how people can study in front of the TV--I can't do that even if it's a show my roommate happens to be watching (such as Judge Judy or something similar) and I'm not particularly interested in it! It still ends up being a distraction. Then I end up going into my room (which is right off the living room) and turning on my own music to drown it out so I can concentrate. Interestingly, I've found that even music that has words tends to distract me, so I've made playlists that are all instrumental and those work much better. It's like I can't help listening when someone is saying something! Is anyone else like this, or am I just weird?

I don't usually turn the tv or music on just for background noise. If I'm watching tv, I sit down and watch it. If I am listening to music, I am not usually working, cause it distracts me.

I have found interestingly enough that I just cannot sit on a trainer and watch tv. I find myself stopping pedalling all the time, but I do listen to music and that works great for me on the trainer.

i'm in the 'tv as white noise' crowd. i work at home a couple days a week, and it is not mindless work, i write and review scientific data. but i find having the tv on in the background helps. i may watch a bit, but mostly it is just there to keep me company i guess. though i will confess to being the expert in the anna nicole smith baby drama back when it was on court tv 24/7. everyone in the office knew to ask me for any details.

Its really interesting to wonder how some people can study with background noise.

I think in part it might come down to my earlier comment.
We are raising our children, and some of us have been raised ourselves, with constant background noise - such as TV or radio always on.

To suddenly have silence is actually a distraction.

i'm the youngest of six, i am not sure i've ever heard this silence of which you speak. :)

LOL - I have 5 kids - not sure if they know what I mean either!
:p

However, we do have big chunks of the day with no TV, radio or stereo.

When I was in college I couldn't study with music with lyrics. Music without lyrics was better, it helped to take the focus off of random noises like people turning pages, clearing their throats, etc. When I am really trying to focus and it's dead quiet, and there's some sort of slight repetitive noise, my mind latches onto it, so the instrumental music helped block that out. Jazz was the best, if it was laidback and not too intense, classical okay too, but nothing too bombastic.

When I try to go to sleep noise really gets to me, even the repetitive call of a bird outside my window or something will drive me nuts. I used to use a fan for this reason, but I've weaned myself off of it now. The other night I turned on a late-night new-age/fusion music show and it sent me to sleep nicely, but that was probably also cause I was dead tired.

K.

When I am working in our lab at work (debugging software problems), I can deal with conversations in the periphery, but let someone turn on music or a video on a computer a couple of aisles away, and I simply cannot concentrate AT ALL. Debugging software just takes all my brainpower, and I find myself getting very irritable if there are video or even music noises (classical music might be okay, but music with lyrics is no good). However, at home, if I am just hanging out on the computer as I am now, reading forums, writing emails, online shopping or research, the TV is often on (as now, DH is watching football), and it doesn't bother me a bit. It's all a matter of how much mental concentration I need to do. Above a certain threshold, TV/music is a definite distraction.

I also think that as I have gotten older, that threshold/tolerance has decreased. I used to be able to do homework/study with the radio on, no problem, but as I've gotten older, I need quiet to be at my best mentally.

Emily

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Originally Posted by Jolt

Interestingly, I've found that even music that has words tends to distract me, so I've made playlists that are all instrumental and those work much better. It's like I can't help listening when someone is saying something! Is anyone else like this, or am I just weird?

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I'm like that, but even worse. I simply cannot work with any music or talking in the background at all...not even instrumental stuff. I play music in my spare time for fun with friends a lot, and any music on anywhere grabs my mind and pulls my attention to it. I can't work with that, it's way too distracting to me. Happily, I work at home (technical illustrator) and can have relative quiet to work in.

I find tv to be a very disturbing background noise- too much yelling (both "cheery" yelling in ads, and angry yelling), too many loud sudden noises, and too much stop/start/stop/start explosive type music....all highly aggressive sounding, even the canned laughter is rather explosive. Yuk. Constant TV racket was actually one of the breaking points of a former marriage. Blissfully, since then, I actually have not watched tv AT ALL in 9 years now. :) And my new DH and I think alike and like the very same things. :p :p :p Aaaahhhhhh.......

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

I'm like that, but even worse. I simply cannot work with any music or talking in the background at all...not even instrumental stuff. I play music in my spare time for fun with friends a lot, and any music on anywhere grabs my mind and pulls my attention to it. I can't work with that, it's way too distracting to me. Happily, I work at home (technical illustrator) and can have relative quiet to work in.

I find tv to be a very disturbing background noise- too much yelling (both "cheery" yelling in ads, and angry yelling), too many loud sudden noises, and too much stop/start/stop/start explosive type music....all highly aggressive sounding, even the canned laughter is rather explosive. Yuk. Constant TV racket was actually one of the breaking points of a former marriage. Blissfully, since then, I actually have not watched tv AT ALL in 9 years now. :) And my new DH and I think alike and like the very same things. :p :p :p Aaaahhhhhh.......

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Interesting...now that I think about it, I think maybe it's the "stop/start" and "explosive" types of sounds that are the most distracting for me too. Along with not being able to study in front of the TV even if I'm not the one watching it, the other thing that drives me absolutely bonkers is if I'm studying on the train during my commute to/from school and somebody is on their cell phone or having a conversation with another passenger nearby! Particularly if they're loud--if they're being discreet and keeping their voices down it's not as bad. Sometimes I bring my iPod specifically to drown out stuff like that so I can concentrate better--ideally I like quiet when I'm studying, but I can do OK with instrumental music that's familiar and if it keeps my attention off the random sounds it helps a lot!

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Originally Posted by Kimmyt

. The other night I turned on a late-night new-age/fusion music show and it sent me to sleep nicely, but that was probably also cause I was dead tired.

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Steve Roach is great for that.