Music is an integral part of many students’ lives. It can be an escape or it can be a way to focus. However, because of phone bans, students have to figure out different ways to listen.
Spotify was blocked on school Wi-Fi in December. Spotify was the primary source of music for many students. With the new year, there have been Walkmans and iPods throughout the Coppell High School halls. It does not violate the phone ban laws because those devices do not have Bluetooth. Therefore, students can listen to music easily without violating any laws.
CDs, vinyls, DVDs, iPods and Walkmans are all examples of physical media. They were more popular in the 1980s to 2000s, but they have started to grow in popularity recently. Vinyls are especially popular because artists can have special editions from different stores.
Physical media has been growing for many reasons. Some reasons include wanting to reduce screen time, wanting to save money or wanting to feel nostalgia or aesthetic. Whatever the reason, it is totally valid. Physical media is cool and deserves to resurface.
“I was told that devices that connect to Wi-Fi aren’t allowed, so I decided to take my dad’s old iPod,” sophomore Aditi Ahuja said. “I think physical media is super cool. I’m a huge fan of seeing it around school. It’s super convenient, and since it’s allowed under the ban, it’s even better.”
Students using Walkmans and iPods at school to access music is amazing. It is important to have the individuality and creativity that physical media encourages people to have.
According to GadgetHacks, students are adapting to changes in what they can or can not do at school as “the appearance of iPods and cassette players in phone-free schools says a lot about student adaptability when given options.”
The act of banning things from school creates a new type of adaptability for students.
Why are these students going through all this trouble just to listen to music? For most students, music either helps them focus on their work, or helps them calm down from the stress of the school day.
“Results suggested that listening to relaxing music makes a physical difference to the way people respond psychologically and physically, in terms of hormone response under stress,” Healthline writer Crystal Raypole said. “Music doesn’t just motivate you. It can also help reduce stress and promote a more positive mindset.”
By listening to music, students can be calmed down and feel happier.
The resurgence of physical media is a good thing. Students are not on their phones, but they still get to listen to music to improve their experience at school. Music is never leaving the walls of CHS.
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