By Brady Small | LTVN Reporter/Anchor
With the boom of the internet, obtaining knowledge has never been easier. We now have the ability to access information anywhere and everywhere. I can watch professionals tell me how to do their trade from my bed.
This is particularly true for the education and entertainment industries, such as Masterclass, YouTube, TED Talks, blogs, articles, documentaries and podcasts. We can learn whatever we want wherever we want, but the best way to do that is with podcasts.
Unlike any of the other forms of media listed above, podcasts have a way of efficiently providing educational information because of the amount of content that can be produced and the ability to multitask while listening to it.
YouTube videos, for example, require multiple takes, the process of editing both the video and the audio, informational graphics and enticing thumbnails. Podcasts, on the other hand, only require audio editing. This aspect of simplicity allows for faster production speed.
The recent growth of podcasts can be directly related to the speed at which each individual episode can be produced. For example, when I decided to take up poker, I was ready to learn how to play beyond a moderate-to-average skill level. I was able to listen to two 30-minute podcasts on the topic; at first, that may sound like a lot, but I listened while driving, which was something that I would have been doing anyway.
Instead of listening to music — which doesn’t have an equal educational benefit — I was able to enhance my knowledge on the subject without spending extra hours of my day. It’s a well-renowned concept that the easiest way to learn a language is to “jump into the deep end” and immerse yourself in the culture of the language you are attempting to learn. However, that fact applies to much more than just language.
Through podcasts, you can continue to participate in normal life, simply listening to an episode without needing to look at a screen to see something that is being referenced.
A good example is when commuting. If you walk, drive or bike to class, or if you work for an hour a day and listen to a podcast during that time, that’s an hour of educational benefits. You might be surprised at how much information can fit into that hour.
While other forms of media for education and entertainment have their benefits, podcasts are a unique method of accessing information. Next time you are walking to school, driving around or biking in Cameron Park, consider the time an opportunity for an audio-only information stream.
