I’ve been thinking about my podcast listening habits over the past few years. I used to listen to a lot of podcasts on a wide range of topics while cleaning, baking, walking, and running errands. But lately there seems to be less time for listening. I now have a family, and they are always demanding my attention, making it hard to put the earbuds in and really get absorbed. (Truth be told, it’s hard to get absorbed in anything with little ones around!) And for some reason it feels more anti-social to pop in ear buds when hanging out with family than it does to read a book or an article. So my podcast listening has dropped a lot in the last few years, which is perhaps why this invitation to listen was really welcome.
Some of my fav’s have been: Oh Witch Please, Metis in Space (both of these were in my podcatcher before this course suggested them), Death in the Afternoon, The Big Story, Quick Question, JustSustainability and PhilosophyBytes.
As I thought about why I listen to these podcasts, or what draws me to them, I realized that each one was valuable for different reasons. Podcasts like Oh Witch Please, Metis in Space, and Death in the Afternoon all allowed me to learn interesting things, but they were also immensely entertaining. They left me smiling and lifted my spirits. The energy in each of these podcasts was what kept me coming back. I don’t feel a strong para-social relationship with this podcasters, but do feel a bit like I’m eavesdropping on some brilliant people having witty and intellectual conversation, but it’s socially sanctioned eavesdropping, if that makes sense? In any case, it’s a bit like going to a fantastic party where things aren’t socially awkward if I just hang around on the outskirts of a stimulating conversation.
Podcasts like PhilosophyBytes and Just Sustainability are more scripted, and don’t offer this experience. I used to value PhilosophyBytes because it was so concise and delivered a lot of information in a short 15 minute episode. I don’t always have an hour to listen to a podcast, and sometimes taking a week to listen to an hour-long episode means I forget things before the episode is done! So I valued the format of PhilosophyBytes, though I have since stopped listening to it because of it’s willingness to platform people whose views I find to be morally objectionable.
And then there are podcasts that are just for the giggles, like Quick Question. I don’t learn anything much from this podcast, but when I need to have a good laugh it is the best. Again, I feel like I’m listening in on two comedian buddies getting together for a beer or something.
So I suppose I am currently torn. I find the short scripted formats really valuable, especially as I have so little time to devote to listening these days. But I also love the longer formats because of the energy, spontaneity, and just plain fun they bring. And I don’t think that kind of energy would be possible in a more concise and more scripted format. I don’t think either format is better, necessarily, but it is a tension in my listening habits. It’s easier to commit to 15 minutes, and more fun to listen to the hour-long podcasts!
I love the meditation here on length because I think what length fits best changes so much and is so personal. I used to love hour+ podcasts when I regularly spent over an hour at the gym every day, but that went out the window with parenthood. Now I like podcasts in the 30-45 minute range, which feels long enough to get into a topic but short enough that I can finish it in a sitting or two.