A new study has revealed mobile phone ringtones can seriously affect people's concentration, especially if it is a song they know.
Scientists from Washington University conducted a test in which a mobile phone was allowed to ring in lead author Jill Shelton's pocket during a psychology lecture for around 30 seconds.
Students were then tested after the session and performed 25 per worse compared with another exam they did prior to the distraction.
Ms Shelton said: "Many of us consider a mobile phone ringing in a public place to be an annoying disruption, but this study confirms that these nuisance noises also have real-life impacts."
She explained they could have a "real influence" on learning.
A separate test also discovered individuals are far more distracted if the ringtone is a tune they know or can associate with.
Dr Monica Seeley, founder of the Mesmo Consultancy Group and author of Brilliant Email, recently claimed employees will be less productive if they are constantly looking at their phone and using it to read emails.