This year, I’ve really gotten into listening to podcasts. I never really understood why people listened to them. In fact, to understand, I tried to listen to a few podcasts and just found it so boring. Who wants to listen to other people talk? Turns out, I do. I love learning new things to fill my brain with instead of just listening to music. Don’t get me wrong, music has its wonderful place in my life and I’ll always love it, but podcasts have become something special for me. Whether they’re comedic and vulgar, political, or mystery solving, the story telling/conversations expand my thinking instead of settling and just getting the regular comfort of music. Sometimes, it’s nice to hear something new — a new perspective. Something I’m not going to memorize every line of.
Not to mention, as I grow older, politics has become something I invest so much time and thought into. Taking an American Government class during my senior year of high school right in the middle of the 2016 Presidential campaigns made me really care about the past, present, and future of my country. Since then, my interest has only climbed. I have to care and research and be an active member of this country. When Obama was President, I trusted the government and his administration to take care of me. I knew they would do a great job, so why did I have to participate? Now I don’t have that luxury. I can’t just look past the train wreck that’s happening in the most powerful office in the United States. So, I have found education in podcasts.
If you haven’t heard of the Crooked Media podcasts, then you might be living under a rock. I started with their biggest podcast, Pod Save America, which is still my favorite, and now I love to also listen to Lovett or Leave It, Crooked Conversations, and more. Of course, the fact that the guys that run the company and the podcasts are former Obama speechwriters reeled me in. Now, these podcasts keep me informed and updated. I love the way the hosts approach their topics and each have their own voices and add humor into the topics discussed. Also, make sure you listen to their ads—don’t skip; their ads are hilarious. They also have a podcast called Pod Save the People, which is hosted by Deray Mckesson, a very well-known and influential activist. This podcast is the only non-explicit podcast, I believe, so it is very helpful to educate young people (and everyone) on extremely important issues. With Crooked Media’s podcasts, I feel like I’m actually listening to people talk about our country in an educated way, unlike so much of what we see in our current administration.
But, overall, start listening to podcasts. It’s so interesting to consider new points of view and listen to fun topics you wouldn’t normally consider. Below, I will list some of my favorite podcasts for those who are interested.
Pod Save America, Pod Save the People, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Crooked Conversations, Embedded, Serial, Switched on Pop, The Basement Yard, Radiolab.
[Feature Image by Unsplash]