A quick Spotify search will reveal thousands of podcasts. As of March 2022, there were four million podcasts available on Spotify alone, and as of March 2022, Apple Podcasts had 2.4 million. How in the world do you pick one to listen to? Personally, I don’t pick just one, and you shouldn’t either.
I listen to:
-Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
– Goes Without Saying
-The Best Advice for Women in their 20’s
-Stuff You Should Know
-TED Talks Daily
-This American Life
-The NPR Politics Podcast
-How to Become “THAT GIRL”
-Motivational Podcasts
-Call Her Daddy
-Empowered Affirmations: Morning Positive Affirmations to Start the Day
-Advancing Women Podcast
Now, I dabble in a few of these and listen to others daily. I simply don’t have the time to listen to them all weekly, but I think that’s what I also like about the huge variety of podcasts. I can listen freely, especially when a certain topic catches my eye during the week. I think there are a lot of podcast benefits. Other than for entertainment, podcasts can be very educational. I always learn something new whenever I press play. Sometimes I even force myself to listen to a random podcast that doesn’t really interest me, because hearing another person talk deeply about a subject can fuel you to learn more about a subject you really care about. I also think they help individuals become better listeners, because you can listen at your own pace. When I’m completing chores, homework working out, they help me work on multitasking. Podcasts are also great to listen to while trying to passing the time, like traveling. They also offer new ideas, stimulate mental imagery and decreases the amount of time you spend looking at a screen.
According to a study titled “Residents’ Perceptions of Effective Features of Educational Podcasts,” “Our findings extend our knowledge of podcast listening by demonstrating that across a broad global sample, people who have listened to a podcast have higher informational needs, lower belonging needs, and lower neuroticism than those who have not.”
And, “A 2016 study out of UC Berkeley concluded that listening to narrative stories (much like podcasts) can stimulate multiple parts of your brain — so whether it’s that adrenaline rush you get from true crime podcasts or a comedy podcast that boosts your endorphins, there’s truly something out there for everyone.”
Another reason to listen to podcasts is to clear your mind and relieve stress. The duration of the podcast doesn’t even matter that much since it will distract you for the time being. My friends and I also share podcasts that we think each other will also enjoy. Sometimes I find myself answering back to the podcaster (even when I’m alone), and I think podcasts are meant to open conversation. So, yes, I truly believe they are extremely effective. Find one that sparks your interest and/or inspires you and listen weekly.
Sources:
https://podnews.net/article/how-many-podcasts
Riddell JC, Robins L, Sherbino J, Brown A, Ilgen J. Residents’ Perceptions of Effective Features of Educational Podcasts. West J Emerg Med. 2020 Dec 10;22(1):26-32. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2020.10.49135. PMID: 33439799; PMCID: PMC7806333.