Podcasts. It seems like everyone has one these days. So what’s the deal? Are they helpful? Are they worth the hype? Should you start listening to them? Or are they simply another type of media to add to the ever-growing list?
Podcasts are digital audio segments that cover various genres. Comedy? There’s a podcast for it. True-crime? You got it. Current events? Absolutely. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s definitely a podcast for it. Also, rather than having to dedicate yourself to concentrate on the visual component of a video, book, or article, podcasts are designed to appeal to the auditory sense solely. What does this mean? Whether you’re washing the dishes, going on a walk, commuting on the subway, you can stream a podcast and still have your hands, voice, and eyes free for other activities and focuses. The format and continuity of a podcast series allow for a deep dive into any subject of your choice. While many people are unable to sit down and read a 30,000-word article, we have the time to listen to an hour podcast in the car on a long drive.
Personally, I love to listen to podcasts on long walks or while doing mundane tasks like getting ready in the morning or folding my laundry. I have difficulty sitting still because my mind is constantly racing, so listening to podcasts while going about my day actually soothes my mind and contributes to my need for productivity.
In addition to the convenience of this platform, podcasts create a sense of community. The format offers a way for creators and listeners to contribute to a continuous feedback loop and create the best content. For example, the true-crime genre maintains origins in small Reddit communities where individuals spearheaded grassroots investigations of their own. For the viral podcast Serial, the host Sarah Koenig used these communities to gather the information that she cites in the podcast.
So besides information-gathering and a sense of community, do podcasts offer any other unique benefits? It turns out that podcasts have brain benefits. From a macro perspective, consuming information activates the mesolimbic pathway, also known as the reward pathway. This pathway releases dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical. In fact, a 2016 UC Berkeley study found that listening to narrative stories (like podcasts) stimulates many portions of the brain. For instance, meditation podcasts can activate the brain stem, thalamus, and auditory cortex. Likewise, the brain releases oxytocin. Alternatively, when listening to a true-crime podcast, the brain interprets this information in the medulla oblongata, producing adrenaline and releasing endorphins from the pituitary gland. Endorphins are slightly addictive, like opioids, and dopamine and serotonin are also produced. Lastly, comedy podcasts activate the frontal lobe and cerebral cortex. Humor even lowers cortisol, the stress hormone.
Want to give podcasts a go? Shameless plug, but MFPA has a podcast. Episode one discusses the perspective of women in the medical field, and episode two discusses breaks and mental health. Stay tuned for episode three…
Some recommendations to get you started:
COMEDY:
The Joe Rogan Experience
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
BUSINESS:
Jocko Podcast
Planet Money
Work Life with Adam Grant
Token Ceo
HISTORY:
Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell
Stuff You Missed in History Class
HEALTH:
No F*cks Given with Sarah Knight
The Doctor’s Farmacy with Dr. Mark Hyman
SCIENCE:
Hidden Brain
TED Radio Hour
Invisibilia
Ologies with Alie Ward
NEWS:
Pod Save America
The Daily
The Improvement Association
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