Can I listen to music while I work? Multi-tasking takes a hit

Students often ask (or just go ahead) to listen to music while they work, especially while doing independent work on the computer. I also catch students with google chat open (and flashing) when they should be using google docs or sites. They insist that they focus better while listening to music, or that they are "very good at multi-tasking".

I usually say no because I "don't believe in" multi-tasking, but have wondered more and more if I am just being a crotchety old fashioned teacher who needs to change with the times. Then I read this article citing research about the detrimental effects of multi-tasking, and I knew I had my answer. So I wrote my students:

Dear Students,
     As the semester draws to an end and final exams loom, you are spending more and more time studying. I often hear students say that listening to music while studying helps them focus, or that students are "very good at multi-tasking". The truth is that multi-tasking is detrimental to learning. Here is an article for teachers and parents that cites research studies that tested student learning while using other media. According to a 2010 study, "almost a third of those surveyed said that when they were doing homework, “most of the time” they were also watching TV, texting, listening to music, or using some other medium....Researchers have documented a cascade of negative outcomes that occurs when students multitask while doing schoolwork.

• "First, the assignment takes longer to complete, because of the time spent on distracting activities and because, upon returning to the assignment, the student has to re-familiarize himself with the material. 
• "Second, the mental fatigue caused by repeatedly dropping and picking up a mental thread leads to more mistakes.
• "Third, students’ subsequent memory of what they’re working on will be impaired if their attention is divided.
• "Fourth, some research has suggested that when we’re distracted, our brains actually process and store information in different, less useful ways.
• "Finally, researchers are beginning to demonstrate that media multitasking while learning is negatively associated with students’ grades."

     The researchers suggest turning off all media while studying, and then taking regular "tech breaks". Try studying for 15 minutes, then take a 2-5 minute break to check social networks, texts, listen to a song or two, and then get back to studying for another 15 minutes. Eventually, try extending your studying time to 20 minutes, then 30, and up to 45 before taking your "tech break".
     A great tool to help you control your online habit is a free app called Self-Control (http://selfcontrolapp.com). It allows you to block your distracting websites for an amount that you determine; you can't override your own block until the time is up.
     So turn off your phone, take out your earbuds, set Self Control for 15 minutes to block your social media (even gmail!), and when the time is up, check your media for 5 minutes, get a drink or just stretch, and then set Self Control for another 15 (or 20 or 30 or 45). You will focus better, use your time more efficiently, remember information longer, and be able to use that information more flexibly.
     Good luck with your studying!

I know I will get some stubborn disbelievers who will want to argue this point. However, if it helps a few this year, and the others hear the message again next year (and the next and the next), eventually we may get the kinds of learners who can deeply focus on one task without hyper-distractions.

What is your thinking about music while working? What about the ability to multi-task?