In our current digital age, it is so easy to tumble down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos, Netflix shows, and TikTok, keeping you seated in bed for hours. Everyone has fallen victim to it, sitting down after a long day of work or school and saying, “I’m just going to watch one episode” or “I’m just going to scroll for 15 minutes.” They make it easier than ever before. My YouTube knows exactly who I’m interested in or what topics have been catching my fancy recently. TikTok is even worse; it’s like they’ve delved into my mind and picked out the exact videos and reels that will have me hooked for hours (and it totally works).
Being a busy college student, having my phone as a mental trap sitting a foot away from me 24 hours a day is not great. I especially find myself falling down that dangerous rabbit hole after I finish class, telling myself, “You deserve a break!” after sitting and learning all day long. And then, what I think to be 10 minutes later, is 2 hours later, and now I’m getting ready to go to bed and prepare for the day to repeat itself. It’s exhausting.
As I entered high school four years ago, I realized I needed a change in this pattern. I needed a break from Netflix and something else to entertain my mind. Because, as many others in my generation sympathize with, I cannot function without some background noise. So, I found my niche: podcasts.
I have been known as the podcast girl for ages now; everyone knows that I tune into a podcast during a car ride, while completing schoolwork, or while exercising. It has been the solution to that pesky social media rabbit hole. Instead of attempting to multitask and watch Friends while completing homework, I put on a podcast.
Here are three reasons why you should put down TikTok or that Netflix show on your phone and put on a podcast.
Podcasts let your eyes take a break from computer/phone screens. Being busy college students in our current world, computers and phones are being used for literally everything. We look at screens all day long: during lectures, to complete homework, studying, and at night when we are sitting down to relax. Straining your eyes all day is not good, and even with my blue light glasses, I feel the pain. I finish each day with the worst headache ever. Podcasts give me the chance to put down the screen and focus on something else that doesn’t require my eyes to focus on a computer screen. I put on a podcast when I clean, when I’m completing homework, or when I’m working out, and even before I go to bed to fall asleep. It is so important to let yourself take a break from screens, but you don’t have to be completely bored! Podcasts are my favorite way to take a break.
Podcasts are entertainment on the go! Being a college student living on campus, I feel like all I do is walk. I walk miles and miles a day to get from class to class, to get food, or to meet up with friends. And this often gets boring; I’m sure you’ve fallen victim to a bump due to one party (or both) scrolling through their phone or not paying attention while walking. I’ve done it myself; I have run into other students walking due to a TikTok scroll. Podcasts offer a hands-free way to be entertained; you don’t have to be constantly focused on your screen to be completely entertained. Not only is this helpful while taking a walk around campus, but it also helps me stay entertained when I’m completing day-to-day tasks. I always need something to be playing in my ears while I’m doing homework or simply driving, and often I get into a music slump and can’t find a new bop to listen to. Podcasts are truly an amazing way to be entertained without having to hold a phone or computer in your hand, like TikTok or Netflix.
Podcasts are entertaining, fun, educational, and motivational. I have dived into a wide variety of different podcasts and genres. Podcasts are so diverse; if there is a topic you’re interested in, it exists in a podcast form. Some of my favorite podcast genres are true crime podcasts that almost “story-tell” criminal stories, fashion podcasts, and lifestyle podcasts. The podcast epidemic is taking over our digital space; often many actors, influencers, and creators have expanded their portfolios and begun podcasts of their own. So, if you’re interested in a specific subject or person, take a look on Spotify and see if a podcast exists for your interest (which I’m sure it does).
Although more and more people are loving and enjoying this new podcast epidemic, I truly have an appreciation for podcasts since I have entered college. Here are some of my favorite podcasts at the moment:
“Cancelled with Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield”: I am obsessed with “Cancelled,” and if you have existed on TikTok, you know how popular Tana has been recently. Tana and Brooke chat about their personal experiences, dating stories, celebrity drama, and much more. I truly love how open and honest the two girls are; it feels like sitting on a FaceTime call with a best friend.
“Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories”: True Crime has quickly become one of my favorite podcast genres. Although it isn’t for everyone, the storytelling they do on the unsolved murder podcast keeps me constantly entertained. They talk about real-life crime stories and have different voices for different characters. If you are interested in dark and twisted crime stories, definitely check it out!
“Pretty Basic with Alisha Marie and Remi Cruz”: Remi and Alisha are an example of influencers who have branched out to podcasting, and let me tell you, they slay. The best way to describe this podcast is “lifestyle” oriented; they discuss their dating lives, answer audience questions, give relationship advice, and talk about all things girly. If you’re looking for a big sister podcast, I have been listening to this one for three years.
Now that you have finished reading this article, open up that Spotify and get to podcastin’.