The Power of the Podcast
I race to the B train as it rejects me and speeds away into the dark tunnel. I check the time. Great. I have to wait for another train, which won’t come for another 7 minutes. I quickly scan the area. No one looks up and everyone seems to be listening to something. As not to feel awkward, I search my bag for my wireless earbuds and place them in my ears. Home. Podcast Icon. Recently Updated. As the voice of Jad Abumrad starts playing, I stand, no longer frustrated, but intrigued.
Podcasts have steadily increased in popularity, particularly since the release of Serial, an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig, narrating a nonfiction story over multiple episodes. According to Edison Research and Triton Digital, as of 2016, in all age demographics, podcast listening had increased from 17% to 21% overall, which amounts to an estimated 57 million listeners. In a world where so many different mediums (TV, Music, Film and many more) compete for attention, resulting in an over-saturation of entertainment, why are more people listening to podcasts when it seems like every other medium is losing to streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu?
The answer is simple: as Sirena Bergman writing for the New York Magazine answers, “podcasts haven’t taken the place of other media consumption habits. Instead, they fill up the space in between, when [she] used to listen to music, or even simply let [her] mind wander in silence.” Similar to what I did while waiting for another train, Bergman brings up the legitimate point that when there isn’t enough time to settle down for an episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” or pull out a laptop to work on an essay, podcasts are an easy way to stay engaged in the “in between” times. Of course, music will always be the most fierce competition to podcasts. But do podcasts have benefits that are specific to them?
One of the most immediate and straightforward benefits is the power of the story. Podcasts allow us to be immersed in someone’s story or fresh perspective or interesting information. Other than just engaging listeners, there are tangible effects of good story-telling. Paul Zak, the director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University, has done research on the subject of stories in terms of physiology and psychology. His discovery? Zak stated that “a good story’s a good story from the brain’s perspective, whether it’s audio or video or text. It’s the same kind of activation in the brain.”
Additionally, podcasts are an intimate experience: it is a voice that is speaking directly to you through technology. This is largely what differentiates podcasts from other forms of media. Other than creating a instantly connected effect, podcasts can also increase emotional and mental well-being. Whitney Matheson experienced first-hand how podcast listening helped her. Matheson is a Tennessee based pop-culture writer and she found various podcasts that delved deeper into the issues of mental health and depression, which helped her in her own journey and even describes them as having been therapeutic.
Now, you might be wondering, “What podcasts should I listen to?” Here are some of my favorites:
Modern Love
This podcast is perfect for when you are relaxing at home or dozing off to sleep - not because it’s uninteresting but because the narration is so calming. As their website explains, “The Podcast features the popular New York Times column, with readings by notable personalities and updates from the essayists themselves. Join host Meghna Chakrabarti (WBUR) and Modern Love editor Daniel Jones (NYT) — and fall in love at first listen”. Think of your childhood audiobooks but with unique stories on finding love with amazing new narrators every episode including Ellie Kemper, Awkwafina, Saoirse Ronan and many more.
Check it out at https://www.npr.org/podcasts/469516571/modern-love
2. Change Agent
Also from The New York Times, this five-part series hooked me from the first episode. If there was ever a podcast that one would binge, this is it. It is described as the following: “Charles Duhigg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “The Power of Habit,” hosts this podcast that turns obstacles into opportunities. We unearth surprising stories from science and business to offer solutions to people's problems. Will the solutions work? We stick around to find out.” If you’ve ever wondered what learning the secrets of competitive breath holding can do to help a woman fix an online shopping habit or what a recovering alcoholic can learn from a Domino's Pizza marketing campaign, this is the podcast for you.
Check it out at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/change-agent/id1353825724?mt=2
3. Sincerely, X
Another short series, this podcast from TED combines everything that is loved about TED Talks, and then some more. It’s perfect for commuters, morning routines, and even when exercising. The website perfectly sums it up when they say “Some stories are too sensitive, painful or potentially damaging to share publicly -- unless they can be shared anonymously. TED and Audible present Sincerely, X: an original audio series featuring talks from speakers whose ideas deserve to be heard, but whose identities must remain hidden. The first season features a compelling program of victims, perpetrators, investigators, activists, empaths and more.” Listening to hidden narratives on the front-stage is so beautiful and enlightening.
Check it out at https://www.ted.com/read/ted-podcasts/sincerely-x
The three podcasts above are not at all encompassing of all the genres that exist. Serial, Hidden Brain, More Perfect, PoetryNow, WSJ Minute Briefing, Ted Radio Hour, So, What Do You Do? (the last one is co-created by yours truly at WNYU studio) and so many more are available out there. So the next time you miss your train, maybe just smile and press play.
