Can most people work or study while listening to music?

I'd say it really depends on the type of work or study and the person's concentration style. Some people find instrumental music helps them focus, especially for repetitive tasks like coding or design work - I actually listen to lo-fi beats when doing UI mockups in Shanghai. But for reading complex material or learning new concepts, lyrics can be distracting. My high school math teacher Mr. Wang always told us to study in silence because solving problems requires full attention. That said, everyone's different - some classmates swore by classical music during exam prep.