Six am. Your alarm clock blares, initiating your morning routine. Still in your pajama pants, you find yourself zoning off while staring at a reflection in the mirror, brushing your teeth. In your ear, a voice explains the fall of the Roman Empire, or maybe why modern dating is chopped, or how to optimize testosterone levels before breakfast. You nod along, enlightened, productive, and slightly misinformed. This is podcasting. Not a studio, not a microphone, but a fixed entity stitched into the mundane.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, podcasting and streaming apps have exploded. Listenership has almost doubled between the span of 2013 and 2023; younger audiences seem to be the main demographic. But, the big question is, why podcasts? I mean, teenagers can easily spend their time watching YouTube videos, studying, or doomscrolling on Instagram Reels. Well, podcasts don’t require one very important thing: your full attention. A podcast is able to run in the background while you commute, shower, lift weights, pretend to pay attention in class – each moment becomes an opportunity for consumption. Tallwood student Dorian Muncy said that podcasts let him “connect to my interests in a manner that doesn’t require much effort or thought,” further explaining how easy it is to “just turn them on and listen.”
The Uses and Gratifications theory explains that people will choose media depending on what needs they meet. For example, have you ever found yourself watching a video essay on a random subject you don’t care for simply because it is “educational,” or have you avoided watching a movie because you are just too busy, and it would be a waste of your time? Podcasts are able to inform, entertain, and stimulate conversation all while you are working on simple daily tasks like your laundry. “I listen to podcasts to not think of the mundane tasks I do,” said a Tallwood Student. The way a podcast works is also manipulative, in a way, causing the listeners to feel a false sense of connection and intimacy with the hosts. A podcast host speaks for hours, uninterrupted, unchallenged, and often unedited. A listener does not know the host, but the conversational format of the podcast makes them feel familiar, trustworthy, and authoritative. The voice in your ear becomes a friend of sorts.
The rise of podcasting popularity also comes with its cons. In 2025 10 of U.S. adults said they often got their news from podcasts. This number is slowly increasing as time goes on and will surely rise as Gen Z and Gen Alpha become adults. However, podcasts, unlike traditional news websites, can be extremely biased and often rely on the host’s viewpoint of the situation. This is where seemingly educational podcasts can turn controversial.
The Joe Rogan Experience is the most listened to podcast on Spotify. “With over two-thousand episodes, an average of two to three hours in length each, the show has become a destination for open dialogue.” His interview style in combination with the choice of people he interviews creates confusion about authority. An interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson, a famous astrophysicist, will have the same lighthearted, unprofessional vibe as an interview with famous YouTuber, Mr. Beast. The guests could range from activists to billionaires, physicists to conspiracy theorists, the options are limitless. What makes one opinion more important than the other? Sure the physicist could give a more educated answer, but anyone can sound educated if they talk long enough, right?
However, Joe Rogan does not represent podcasting as a whole. Educational podcasts allow skilled professionals to discuss more niche topics that classrooms might not cover. “It helps me figure out new important things for my medical career, and learn more about basketball!” said Tallwood freshman Yaret Ramos. Storytelling podcasts can cover a diverse range of genres, spanning between romance, mystery, and horror. The audio design and passionate voice acting allows for entertainment without the need to stare at a screen. “I have vision problems and listening to podcasts is a great alternative to consuming content and lessens the strain on my eyes.” Most students brought up the fact that they listen after a long day at school when they just need to relax. Comedic podcasts like “Smosh Mouth” provide stress relief, a must-have in a stressful academic and social environment. The podcasting medium is flexible and is able to come in many different forms.
Podcasting thrives because it is able to fit into modern life. It is portable, personal, and persistent. It turns silence into dialogue and boredom into entertainment. For Gen Z, it offers a routine that differs from the same playlist on repeat: a new episode every week. The voice in their ear can educate them, entertain them, or quietly reshape how they see the world. Often, it does all three at once.
