Google why podcasts are so popular and you will get the same answers. They fit into our busy lives. We can plug our AirPods in and go about our day. Millennials need on demand entertainment. But is that really it? This international ever increasing marketing trend, is simply a convenient form of entertainment? I don’t think so.
“In a nationwide survey released in October from the BBC, a third of Britons said that they often or very often feel lonely… Loneliness is still something that greatly troubles Millennials: According to the 2016 VICELAND UK Census, loneliness is the number one fear of young people today—ranking ahead of losing a home or a job.” (Howe, 2019, Forbes.com).
The fact of the matter is loneliness is a generational wide problem, and I have nothing but compassion for those struggling in what is one of the worst feelings a human experience. From the isolation of an elderly person going months without speaking to another, or to the loneliness that millennials fear may lie head of them. As our minds become accustomed to perpetual stimulation from the screens of our phones, once stripped back, once there are no new updates on our Instagram feed, we are tribal beings, not designed to be alone. As trivial as it may seem a Podcast can provide company and comfort to those who need it most, an antidote to the worldwide loneliness crisis.
Of course, attention spans are becoming increasingly shorter, and I am certain there will be many reading this whom wish this article was a little shorter, (or in video form 😉) or those who haven’t even reached this point, however, despite all of this, I believe as pack animals at our very core, the rise in podcast popularity only highlights our craving for company.
Combine this with our desire to better ourselves, to learn, and to be entertained, the power of an inspirational podcast, or a podcast that puts a smile on to the face of those trapped under the grey cloud of anxiety or depression, the presence of humour, motivation or entertainment is irrefutable.
Now of course Podcasting can have huge impacts for you and your business of which I will write a separate article around and is a fantastic ‘monetise-able’ marketing tool. However for those who can’t afford life coaching, or being told they need to find a mentor that may provide the golden piece of information to change their business, to elevate their feeling of erroneous hopelessness, or for those who feel isolated from the world…Is Podcasting simply convenient entertainment? I don’t think so.
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