Katie Larason is an aspiring public relations skilled from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is at the moment a senior at Purdue College finding out public relations and strategic communication.
The variety of podcast listeners is on the rise — anticipated to rise to 464.7 million customers throughout 2023, in response to Oberlo. This fashionable format adjustments the way in which we devour media and engages school college students. Riverside’s “Podcast Statistics and Developments” information says that fifty% of U.S. podcast listeners fall between the ages of 12–34..
As a university scholar with an ear for podcasts, I thought-about my very own perspective of the digital media and requested fellow college students how podcasts match into their day-to-day lives.
College students shared how this longer type of media content material is nice for lengthy walks and commutes, whereas understanding, or whereas doing actions round the home equivalent to cooking or cleansing. A research from Riverside discovered that “74% of podcasts listeners tune in to be taught new issues, whereas others pay attention recurrently for leisure, to maintain updated, to chill out, and for inspiration.” For some, podcasts can present a way of group and construction throughout this period of at all times being on-the-go.
School college students comply with the podcasting world by a number of streaming companies. A 2020 research from Statista confirmed that Spotify was the “mostly used app for listening to podcasts in the USA,” with 25% of listeners selecting this platform.
Frequent subjects college students gravitate towards embrace comedy, leisure, training, well being and wellness, historical past, information, politics, and true crime.. The scholars I surveyed are drawn to podcasts based mostly on who the host is and if any visitor stars will probably be included within the dialog. The vast majority of college students shared that they take pleasure in listening to personality-driven channels equivalent to “Workplace Girls,” “The Joe Rogan Expertise“ and “Unlocking Us with Brené Brown.” There was additionally a development in college students favoring well being and wellness podcasts like “The Mindset Mentor” and “On Objective with Jay Shetty.”
Many podcasts characteristic commercials as a method for companies to achieve huge audiences whereas additionally serving as a income stream for podcasters. Information from Advert Outcomes Media demonstrates that 51% of listeners usually tend to take heed to commercials on podcasts slightly than on different media platforms. When asking college students about advert placements, I discovered that they persistently skip by the commercials, however are extra persuaded to take heed to them if it’s the podcast’s host themselves selling the advert slightly than a random voice interrupting this system. When it comes to a extra common viewers, nevertheless, information from Advert Outcomes Media discovered larger ranges of listener engagement, with 74% of listeners following up with commercials after listening to them throughout a podcast. The info exhibits that selling commercials in podcasts may be an efficient advertising technique, however just isn’t notably fashionable amongst college students.
Whereas college students use podcasts of their on a regular basis duties, the know-how additionally performs an element within the classroom. A research on “The Results of Podcasting on School Scholar Achievement and Perspective” explores the function of podcasts as a “instructing enhancement software” the place school college students “might expertise extra success if school lecturers had been capable of personalize curricula” and assign content material in a up to date method. The research discovered that college students benefited from the usage of podcasts and supported the know-how which offered flexibility on when, the place and the way college students might entry their assignments..
Podcasts have develop into more and more fashionable amongst school college students as they provide handy approach to have interaction with media. As podcasts evolve, so does their potential to achieve new audiences, construct communities and act as a priceless software for private and mental development.
