Does Listening To Music Improve Your Concentration?

Many people listen to music while they are carrying out a task, whether they're studying for an exam, driving or even reading a book. Most of them argue that to listen to music while carrying out these tasks actually helps improve their concentration, and helps them remain focused on their tasks.

Why, though? When you think about it, that doesn’t make much sense. How would having two things to concentrate on make you more focused, not less? Some people even go so far as to say that not having music on is more distracting. So what’s going on?

It's not clear as to why the brain likes music so much in the first place, even though it clearly does. Experts say that there are specific types of music that one's brain would like and help concentrate. 

A study reveals that there needs to be a medium level of syncopation in music in order to help you concentrate or derive pleasure, not too much free jazz, with high syncopation, neither something so straight as a metronome with all those monotonous time signature based beats. There needs to be some swing, that can make you feel like dancing.

We have two attention systems, it seems: a conscious one to direct our focus on what we actually want to concentrate on, and an unconscious one that shifts our attention to anything our senses pick up that might be significant. A study reveals that the unconscious one is simpler, more fundamental and undergoes emotional processing rather than any higher or genuine reasoning.

The trouble is, while our conscious attention is focused on the specified task, the unconscious attention system doesn’t shut down; it’s still very much online, scanning for anything important in your peripheral senses. So when you are alone, in an uninteresting situation, your unconscious attention is even more potent. In such times a distraction doesn't need to be as stimulating to get you.

Music is a very useful tool in such situations. It provides noise that doesn't really distract, to effectively neutralise the unconscious attention system’s ability to distract us. It’s much like giving small children a new toy to play with while you’re trying to do something without them disturbing.

Some people including think that a video game soundtrack is the best music genre for concentration. This makes sense, when you consider the purpose of the video game music: to help create an immersive environment and to facilitate but not distract from a task that requires constant attention and focus.

But, video game soundtracks are currently changing, with composers composing just any type of music. The challenge will be to maintain the delicate balance of stimulation without distraction. To achieve this, games' composers will need to stay focused and we too about what we listen. My favourite is Clash Royale Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRUL9i6mdME

Music can help you concentrate, but remember that pop and rock is a boulder blocking concentration. Check out for the type of music you listen to and enjoy!

Far Side Of The Moon (Science-Fiction)

Moon makes exactly one rotation every revolution. It's a peculiar thing that we never got to see the far side of the moon, and I am speaking to you midway on my journey to this place, no one's been. It is crazy to know that I am somehow even going there, history in itself, but the observation will be the ultimate thing. I am in hope, of nothing too extraordinary, maybe ordinary, but geologically complex.
After a few days...

I have successfully landed on the visible side of the moon, somewhere actually closer to the far side, and the lunar rover is in excellent condition, and the lunar turf too is perfect. I can considerably travel in this rover at a speed of 60 kph. A couple of days more, and I shall have posted images, and the exploration would've begun, into what man would never have thought of...

Trim-Tram-Trop-Trip-N-BOOM! I had never had such a fact to groom, I can't say the names of the astronomical looms which would have made this room. I have seen half-cut tennis balls but never such a mammoth module of it! Looks like the bowl in which sun drinks its soup. Where from does this moon of ours get its gravity? Just tell me how one can believe, "The Far Side Was HOLLOW?!"

How slippery it was, on the rear side, seemingly no friction, no my rover wasn't up to it. A perfect bowl for ice skating, skiing, skateboarding, just slide down an end and reach the top of the other.

I could see nothing but an inner surface made of, some eatable soil, rich with minerals and nutrients, a middle layer hydrated with liquid oxygen all throughout, and a layer of reactive plasma, and a top layer made of invisible matter.

My colleagues in Rocket Lunar 2 are approaching, they and I will be restless to tell the world, about a never-thought-about new home for we energy and resource-guzzling humans. It's time we realise the possibility of a lunar world, all on the rear side of our dearly known, owned, and called Moon.

Ready? Get Set! Rush!

Investor Parents Or Philanthropists? Are You A Smart Investor?

Do you invest in a business where you are promised no stake?

Don't great investors demand for a good share of a company for what they give?

Don't they critically analyze on every single investment they make?

Nobody likes to invest in a business for which he'll get nothing, and investors certainly are critical. Philanthropists, I'd say are polar opposite to such masterminds, they donate, and are super-generous. 

I believe, it's much better, effective and efficient to be an investor instead a philanthropist sometimes.

I believe also, that parents should be investors than philanthropists, and should demand for an evident result for every resource they provide, and yes, in a critically strict manner. Generally, children are given resources they ask for, and generous parents will surely provide the resource they find it useful. 

Yes, but there's still a hidden but evident fault zone. Questions that few parents generally overlook or actually skip, giving more importance to their child's demand, are what is of even further importance.

They must think about whether it is a valuable resource, which many do, if the resource will be used appropriately, if it is a thing they can't do without, think about whether the resource has a high result-yielding potential, and most importantly, if they are making a genuine investment, that will bear fruit.

For Example, few parents put their children into sports, get them a good equipment, good coaching, spend a fair amount of time dropping them there, and assume that his child is improving his game.

After all that has happened for three to six months and the parent realises that he's just no interest, or passion for the game, goes there to enjoy with friends, has shown no improvement, skips practice, or some absurd reason, the parent has got to simply be dejected and disappointed about the situation.

Therefore, it is crystal clear that a parent has to be critically strict, has to set a definite minimum thing he is assured to get out of the provision of resource, and the passion is the real deal seal. Parents have to pose an undeniable (though doable) demand for approving the investment request.

The parent also has the whole regard to reject an unexplained request. They have to take up the job, because it is they who is held responsible for a child's deeds, so it's they who get to control it too.

A child should be left independent about his thoughts, and parents should listen to their say too, so that a very reasonable point should not be missed out upon. Passion can not be proved concretely, but if a parent observes true and genuine passion, I'd ask them never to reject it, they may, but I'll never.

Smart Investors, parents, we need such people, we need them, we need them!

Book Review Of Ruskin Bond's Potpourri

Ruskin Bond is one of my favourite authors who write for children. His books generally top their respective genre and are among the best of their class.

We were told to borrow a book from the school library for our upcoming Summer Vacation. I had already spent twenty minutes in the library and there still lay three books I was still examining, so I could choose one from them. Oh! Even after a thorough scan of the library, I wasn't able to pick one.

Interestingly, all three were written by Bond: Potpourri, The Laughter Omnibus and errr... Crazy Times With Uncle Ken. It was quite a game of gambling to be choosing from three so seemingly great books. After asking many people and observing a majority of my opinion, I settled with the book titled 'Potpourri'.

Individually, the stories were interesting with distinctive proceeding patterns in the middle, surprise elements, dark, but there was great detail in every aspect of what was described. They were great stories, typical Ruskin Bond stories. But there was a great problem: my satisfaction.

The stories consisted of very little humour, were very quiet and soft and seemed stationary. Every story was similar, and thus there was no compelling mood to be reading all of them. Not much variation in genre, because there truly wasn't any fun-filled and bright stories in the book. Totally, the collection was dull.

I'd say that it consists of typical Ruskin Bond, but a really uneven, bad mix of taste, and so it isn't at all entitled to be called a true Potpourri.

Thank You!

Myself as a person, and two qualities I want to develop in myself through the school's policies and practices

I am Yash. I am a relatively normal person but a bit different from others of my age. I like to talk less. I am an inquirer, because whenever some of my toy, the T.V. or any other electronics gadget stops working, my first question regarding it will be deeply linked with some physical, mechanical or mathematical aspect of it if there were any. I am passionate about physics, math, geometry and also very much about my extracurricular activity of playing the piano. I believe I'm very hardworking.

Yeah, I do also play games, sometimes out of limits, but some day I believe, my mature mindset will surely insist on me to stop wasting my time on these things. I am sometimes adamant, and sometimes not so open minded, somewhat boastful about myself and my skills but I know it wouldn't need much to get my self out of this mental state.

I study in Silver Oaks International School in Hyderabad. Our school has many goals like expanding their services, creating technology-enabled classrooms, supporting NGOs and thus helping the many students get a lot of opportunities, experiences and exposure via their various practices and policies.

The 'Character First, Competence Next' slogan of our school has always struck my mind whenever I display inappropriate behaviour with my peers and also other people. It has taught me that one's character is more importantly observed than his skills. I reframed the main concept into my own way that has a more enhanced effect on me. I think that no person would like to work with even a legend if the great person treats him inferior to him or hurts him. This always makes me aware of my words, and I wish this policy of my school will help me develop this quality in me.

The school assembly discussions that involve our school's principal as the main speaker (including several additional inputs from students and other teachers), are often helpful and easily understood. They generally expose me to ideas, from the principal's P.O.V. as well as what other students and teachers interpret these to be. I get to learn about the different ways a human may interpret some act.
This makes me cautious about the many ways a person may get affected even by what one says. One may take it a joke, one a serious matter, or one even a threat. I generally talk very normally, assuming everything's right. I hope these discussions will keep me updated, and I may one day be able to turn into a very effective and appropriate communicator.

Thank You!

A short story including few suspense elements!

On the night of 31st October 2020, I remember having been all smiles before going for sleep. I was with my friends in Room number 87 of StudyTrack Hostel in London. Not as usual, my friend insisted that we sleep early, at around 9:30 p.m. It was a cold night, I had switched on the heater so we could have a cosy sleep. At around 11 o' clock, I woke up feeling cold. I had noticed that the heater had gone off, although the switch was still on. I crept up to the switch board to switch on the tube light, but it didn't. I noticed that the mains had gone off. I took out the torch and saw that my roommates were missing. There was an air of anxiety around me. Just as I rose from my bed and went close to the door, I heard a series of soft voices. I could hear footsteps and the silent sounds of switches being turned off and/or on. I was getting so tensed, I finally decided that to sleep was the best thing I could do then to relieve myself from tension. After a while of trouble trying to sleep, I heard loud sounds that terrified me so much I nearly fell off my bed. Then BOOM! BANG! BOOM! BANG! and I regained my consciousness and got awake. All the lights on, the clock ticking 12 o' clock, and my friends all there gazing at me. Just then, all of them chorused just as loudly 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!' Woah! What a pleasant surprise! My friends were all up at midnight not having forgotten about my birthday and wishing me. We had a long celebration with snacks, music and noise. It was so fun, I realised in my mind in morning that all that noise and tension was just a preparation by my friends for the wonderful day ahead for me. It all made the day much better!

Thank You!

Video Games And Their Effects On Children

Today, most of the children and teens are exposed to all sorts of things, including various games. Nowadays there are all types of them, most of which aren't good for us children. Even though many children try finding reasons as to why games are good, they'll never be able to brainwash parents, because the positive side expressed by people on the internet is nothing compared to the negative side of it, which is much larger. Here are few of the adverse effects of games on children as well as teens.

First of all, children who play games that include the multiplayer feature often develop stronger addictions. This is because they can challenge their friends and also, because they can make friends that include the other players of the game. This gives them a wrong sense of being social . What help is it to make friends who cannot meet them or do anything to help them other than in the game? This addiction can divert them not only while playing the game or while on the device, but also disturb them while they might be doing something important. It can make them think about it all the time. This makes it very tough for children to get rid of the addiction. It may ruin a year of their childhood just to get rid of it.

Most children cannot keep their side of the bargain when allotted to play. They usually are not aware of the time while playing, and most of the times, even when alerted, they may not be ready to leave the gadget. This makes the parents repent on their kindness that they might have shown while having given them time for playing video games altogether; and when it comes to a stage where the parents have to scold, and upset the child, the result at the end is again sadness. This can grow worse to a stage when the child starts playing without his/her parents knowledge. This can effect children in a very bad way, as doing something without the other person's knowledge is the same as stealing. That is one of the reasons there are parents who are very reasonable and firm in their decision never to give their children such games to play, so that they don't face the consequences later.

Violent games are the worst part of the gaming world, even though the violent gamers might say it is the best. That makes no difference. Children and teens who play such games will certainly display a massive change in behaviour which will have become more aggressive and angry. Children who play such games are often desensitized to violence. It also effects the working and communication habits of children, and they lose control on their temper very easily. This may lead such children to do dangerous physical damage when they get angry, as they no longer can tolerate the innate aggression. 

Take for example, a game called Grand Theft Auto [GTA] was developed and the game consisted of stealing cars, shooting and hurting random people. There was an incident in USA in which a teenage boy who shot two policemen, and a dispatcher, killing them in 2003. He had already been brought there on suspicion of driving a stolen car, something that happens within the game series. But he was not old enough for playing the game in the first place. It made him mentally grotesque and disturbed. The game in fact led the teen to kill. The technology and the companies that created the game were held responsible.

Children should be forbidden from playing video games and especially those under 18. This clearly kills the time they could have spent on doing something productive. This games may render them unproductive by the time they would've realized it. Playing outdoors is just the right thing to do. This keeps your body healthy and you can live a more happy and painless future. Cut-off on your video gaming and compensate it outdoors. I think I am getting late for my badminton match and my lenient friends are patiently waiting outside.

Bye!