Within the past years, more and more people are becoming engaged in social media and stuck to their electronic devices and screens. Popular movie and video sharing services have gotten people involved in the online social life through platforms like Youtube, Instagram, and Snapchat. All of these media outlets have provided visual entertainment for their viewers. A number of health side effects can also arise from continuous time watching,but with the rise of podcasts, viewers get more of a listening experience rather than just watching. 

There are currently over 2 million podcasts and over 48 million episodes published. Podcasts started getting popular as recently as 2004. According to Podcast Insights 2021 statistics, 48% of listeners are 12-34 year olds. Data collected shows that three major categories are most listened to such as comedy, education and news. (source) 

With so much visual content around and constantly shared on social media, viewers are kept in the loop about the world around them. Research and studies have continuously proved that such amounts of online on screen entertainment can put viewers’ eye vision at risk and even slow down brain activity. Podcasts on the other hand, allow the listener to take a break from the visuals and instead get their ears to listen. Listening to only voices feels like an intimate conversation you are having. According to Betterhearing.org, only hearing helps to understand ideas more deeply leading to improved communication skills and even lower risk of depression.

Some of my favorite podcasts are the Amen Podcast by Alex Wilson, where he discusses lessons that can be learned from Biblical stories. He gives his personal thoughts and shares his experiences with listeners, which is helpful to learn from and apply in my life. Another enjoyable podcast for me is Trash Taste where they discuss celebrities, movies, and games. Since gaming and watching movies is a big part of my life, listening to podcasts about reviews and opinions is interesting for me.

Listening to podcasts gives fans a community or a space of people they want to learn from or hear about. Benefits can be connecting with people who share the same passions as you in education or life goals and learning to become better and to help those around you. Not only do listeners benefit but podcast creators are also presented with an opportunity to grow their business, start a class, teach people, and inform people of things going on in the world. 

Clark student Chris Ansourian and his group of friends created a podcast to discuss different topics like mental health, news around the world, and personal life experiences. “ It’s a form of communication while spreading awareness for important topics,” he said. As students are doing homework or feeling bored, they have the option to choose from thousands of types of podcast episodes that they gravitate towards. Even for the content creators, Ansourian expressed “everyone likeAs the idea of creating content with friends and talking about life.”  

Though podcasts have been around for a while, their impact on teenagers and the younger generation overall has been positive and informational to grow their awareness of the world. You can still hear and learn and educate but be present while giving your eyes a break and your mind the freedom to imagine.