The Podcast Phenomenon

At the beginning of this school year, my friend invited me to speak on his podcast about my pre-law organization, my journey applying to law school, and more generally on law school admissions. The experience allowed me to share my genuine thoughts about the law school application process in a safe space. I also felt honored to share my experience with others so that other interested pre-law students could learn from it. Before that, I had never listened to podcasts and chose to watch YouTube or read up on something through Google. However, podcasts have helped me tremendously with catching up on current events, helping me stay focused when procrastination hits, and learning more about topics of interest. 

During times like election season, some individuals are more in tune than others on the events of the campaign trail. Others tend to go on with their daily lives, focusing instead on work and school, and might not have the time to read up on what is happening in the world. However, a lack of knowledge about these events might lead to negative consequences. A person might vote for the popular candidate they hear about all the time but not vote for another who aligns best with their values. Being aware of these events is extremely important–they shape your life or might even change the course of it. 

Podcasts serve as a perfect way to obtain such information as it is easily accessible, affordable, and convenient for any user. Podcasts function similarly to talk radio. On the other hand, radio shows often happen live and listeners will hear the information in that moment. These shows were also subject to multiple advertisements and the content or topic of the show varied each session. On the other hand, podcasts tend to be tailored towards a specific topic and invite guests to give their perspective on the topic. In addition, podcasts have that added benefit of accessibility. Whereas in order to listen to radio broadcasts, you needed to be in your car or were required to buy a radio, you can easily download radio shows on your phone, laptop, or computer covering specific topics and listen to them whenever you’d like. Influencers, celebrities, journalists, and even my friends have podcasts to educate listeners on issues they find important. 

Podcasts can be really helpful for college students especially to get their information. With jobs, internships, and extracurriculars on top of our schoolwork, there might be little time to read the news or watch a debate. With podcasts, you can listen to them while walking to class, as you’re waiting in line at Starbucks, or even right before you go to bed to catch up on the news. You don’t necessarily even have to listen to podcasts for politics or the news! There are podcasts that talk about the brain, relationships, celebrity gossip, music, and more. In your free time, you could learn a great deal about the world with the simple click of a button. With that being said, I encourage you all to start listening to podcasts! 

P.S. I wanted to take this time to thank my friends at Six Cents Podcast: Jude, Sekou, and Rin,  for welcoming me to the wonderful world of podcasts. These three individuals started up this podcast to provide their opinions on a variety of issues from sports to politics and popular culture. Ever since they invited me as a guest, I started to listen to National Public Radio (NPR) as part of my daily routine to learn about the events on the campaign trail and several other podcasts on topics that interest me including the brain, history, and mindfulness. Please check out their podcast on Spotify/Apple Podcasts/iHeartRadio!