The comedian Trevor Wallace mentioned in his YouTube video, “I feel like a good podcast, you don’t even need friends; like these are my friends.” This vlogger describes himself as a podcast guy, explaining that he listens to various humorous podcasts on a daily basis. Among the unusual podcasts he mentioned was one featuring two individuals who raced each other after injecting cocaine and were restricted to using only one sponge to wash dishes. Doesn’t that sound a bit nonsensical? Wallace never fails to bring a smile to my face as he humorously illustrates the benefits of listening to podcasts. He aptly portrays podcast storytellers as individuals who feel intimately connected to us, akin to friends who delight in sharing engaging narratives.
Radio is Dead, Long Live Podcast
In the Ted Talks video The Power of Podcasting, Beau York, Founder and Executive Producer of Podastery Studios, explains that every form of media shares the same goal and challenge of connecting with the audience. Honestly, I would agree with him. Let’s say TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube video, etc…there’s none of them can escape the influence of algorithms, because the new media intends to deliver contents that garner likes. Basically, podcasts resemble these digital media when it also strive to build strong connections with their audiences.
Back in the years ago, I believe that you remembered of the time that your father or mother turned on AM/FM radio when driving the car on roads. The radio might have been broadcasting a political conference at that moment or describing a football game. But most importantly, we wouldn’t stop changing the channels until we find some subject matters that interest us. This is an appropriate example taken from the founder of Podastery Studios in the video while illustrating the drawbacks of radios. Radio’s absence of diverse and personalized audio content has caused it to fade from the public’s view. Podcast followers, especially among Gen Z, are experiencing significant growth instead.
Why Does Podcasts Fit in Gen Z’s Everyday Life?
A friend of mine once mentioned a podcast series titled “Anything Goes With Emma Chamberlain” that left a profound impression on her. She found immense value in the conversations between Emma Chamberlain, the podcast’s host, and Lori Gottlieb, a psychotherapist. I was quite skeptical because I felt that listening to two people talk couldn’t provide the same comfort as confiding in a friend directly. However, my curiosity, driven by neophilia, compelled me to explore it further.
Then, I realized just how incredible it was to listen to a psychotherapist engaging in discussions with the host about the intricacies of relationships, drawing from real-life experiences. It felt as though I was listening to a close friend who was openly sharing everyday experiences. The unique aspect is that I had never met this person before, yet I felt like I had known her for a long time, as if I were a silent observer in their conversation. The feeling is just as the same as what I wrote at the beginning of this blog: a good podcasts make you feel that they are friends.
Podcasts Are Our Best Friends!
All along, I’ve been emphasizing one thing, which is that podcasts have actually integrated into our lives without us even realizing it. If you stop and think about it, if you want to understand what some of the big names in the financial world are up to every day, you might consider listening to “Planet Money” on a podcast because they intriguingly analyze the world’s economy through real events.
I am acquainted with individuals in my social circle who partake in the practice of indulging in podcasts as a pre-slumber ritual to facilitate relaxation. Alternatively, during cooking endeavors, they derive amusement from tuning into humorous talk show channels.
Personalization and on-demand content are essential factors making podcasts highly appealing to Generation Z. The fact that “Our human brain is biologically primed for novelty (Kardaras 2016, 67)” demonstrates how digital media like podcasts cater to the diverse interests of young people. Personalized podcast topics empower digital media users to continually pursue content they enjoy, while the phenomenon known as neophilia compels people to keep discovering the new. This is why podcasts become our companions, or I should even say that podcasts surpass friends because they actively strive to meet our needs as long as we press the play button.
Bibliography
Kardaras, Nicholas. “Generation Z: Online and at Risk?” Scientific American Mind 27, no. 5 (2016): 64–69.
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