Part 1: Written Piece
The genre I chose for a specific genre writing task is Persuasive Essay on a Debatable Issue and the topic is “Is it better to listen to music while working, or to work in silence?” This genre is of immense significance to me because it aids critical thinking skills and nurtures decision-making skills in daily life. Employees of all job types, classmates, students from different faculties, instructors, people working from home, mothers performing their home chores, and people who may or may not enjoy music while working are the potential audience of this persuasive essay. Some people find music distracting and prefer to work in silence, while others find music helpful in concentrating. The purpose of this essay is to explore the pros and cons of both working in silence and listening to music while working in order to come to a conclusion about which is better. The context of this debatable topic is that many people listen to music while working in order to increase productivity, but some find it distracting while at work. This persuasive essay explores the pros and cons of listening to music while at work to conclude whether it is better to listen to music or work in silence in an introductory paragraph, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
When people think about studying or work, they usually imagine silence. However, many people argue that listening to music while studying or working is actually beneficial for learning and productivity. In this breathtaking world, God has made three types of people. The ones who ask for complete silence while working, others who have the ability to tune out the noises they have in the background, and there comes the third category that needs to crank up the volume of their favorite playlist and then focus on their work. However, in my opinion, it is much better to work in silence than to listen to loud music while working. There are several reasons for this debate that one should not listen to music while working or focusing on a task. First, listening to music can be a distraction and can interfere with work performance (Lesiuk, 2005). For instance, if you are trying to focus on an important task at work and you turn on some music, chances are that you will pay more attention to the music than to the task at hand, thereby undermining your productivity. Secondly, working in silence allows one to concentrate fully on the task at hand without having to deal with any distractions or interruptions. Furthermore, working in silence helps one to be more productive because it allows one to get into a good working rhythm without interference from external factors such as loud sounds (Reynolds et al., 2014).
On the other hand, listening to music can have a number of advantages as it can help people to relax and unwind after a long day of work or study as people feel that music eases their stress and improves their mood. In addition, music helps people to improve focus and motivation so that they can become more creative and productive in their work. It can also help people to become more motivated to work harder so that they can achieve their goals while boosting their mood and increasing their motivation levels which help them overcome any difficulties that they may face in the workforce. Moreover, it is also a good way to block out external noises and disturbances that are either too loud or too persistent to ignore (Lonsdale & North, 2011). Many research studies have also shown the positive impacts of listening to music while at work that certain music types can enhance cognitive functioning, improve memory, and help with concentration. Finally, many people feel that music can help to improve their mood and enhance their overall sense of well-being.
In conclusion, listening to music to increase productivity or working in silence to enhance concentration is a controversial debate that depends on an individual person’s preferences. However, the essay argued that people who work in silence tend to be more productive. Those who listen to music while they are working are not as productive and accomplish less during their workday. This conclusion is based on scientific evidence, which shows that listening to music interferes with one’s ability to focus and think clearly. Therefore, it is best for people to work in silence so that they can be more productive in the workplace.
Part 2: Reflection
My perspective to demonstrate a thought-provoking reflection revolves around the tri-acha of work, silence, and music. It is significant and amusing to through light on such a debatable issue as personal preferences may vary from person to person. However, reflection regarding such a persuasive essay may be demonstrated in several dimensions comprising specific genres and respective writing demonstration, its purpose and impact, along the research strategy. These dimensions may proceed as follows:
- Firstly, the chosen genre for writing this task revolves around a highly debatable issue and is summarized in a persuasive essay. The title itself is explanatory: “Is it better to listen to music while working or to work in silence?” Regarding the demonstration of this genre, I preferred to utilize general patterns to articulate and organize the relative information in a step-by-step manner. I tried to tell the writer about the intended sense of what he or she is reading by reflecting the real-life practices and experiences.
- As far as the purpose of this thought-provoking article is concerned, I swiftly anticipate to determine the beneficial aspects of music in relation to working hours, whether it is better to listen to music during working hours or not. The unique situation of work needs silence or it becomes soothing by melodious harmony for boosting work efficiency. Hence, I hope and believe that as the author of the essay, I accomplished this debate with sufficient logical arguments to prove my viewpoint. Certainly, I have earned the purpose by making the reader informed and updated.
- Finally, to accomplish the task I have thoroughly researched, read and cited multiple scholarly articles, papers, and journals from Google Scholar, a credible source with plenty of updated research material. Besides that, I also visited the ‘z library’ (an online source of mindful research material) for a variety of concepts and opinions.
References
Lesiuk, T. (2005). The effect of music listening on work performance. Psychology of Music, 33(2), 173–191.
Lonsdale, A. J., & North, A. C. (2011). Why do we listen to music? A uses and gratifications analysis. British Journal of Psychology, 102(1), 108–134.
Reynolds, J., McClelland, A., & Furnham, A. (2014). An investigation of cognitive test performance across conditions of silence, background noise and music as a function of neuroticism. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 27(4), 410–421.
