Bleak and tragic. This is life without Spotify to soothe the pain and misery of having to do school work. Why must we get rid of such a source of happiness? Do we have to continuously pursue our academic prowess in complete silence? We demand justice for our ears!

I understand the need to minimize any possible distraction away from school work, but is getting rid of Spotify necessary? Studies show that listening to music actually benefits concentration. There are many accounts of students preferring to listen to music while they work, as it helps with their ADHD. Furthermore, dopamine is released when people listen to music, which is highly beneficial for motivation. When there is music, more work gets done. In contrast, when students have a lack of music, there is a decrease in work ethic.

As more and more students are finding out about the ban, there are withdrawals. Students spend more time thinking about the music they could have been listening to rather than the work at hand. This does no good for stress and tiredness. Music has been a common source of joy, an escapism as some would say. Getting rid of Spotify makes the environment feel like prison. More and more freedom is getting denied and we as students must have a way to regain our freedom.

Additionally, many students pay for a subscription to Spotify to indulge in ad-free music and other benefits. This ban on Spotify is not fair for those who pay monthly. Students are restricted from experiencing the greatness of Spotify Premium to its fullest extent. The average student at Agua Dulce Secondary spends a total of eight hours at the school. With this new restriction, these hours have turned silent, much like the voices of our concerns.

Let us unite as a school to reverse the curse this ban has fallen upon us. As students, we should take the initiative to stand for what's right. Not everything has to be lost. The effort we put into bringing Spotify back will surely not be disregarded. For the administration, please consider what we seek to gain back. Music is a growing part of our lives, and we should continue to keep it that way.