Since the podcast Serial became available, Podcasting is having a renewed interest as a viable medium for businesses and bloggers alike. In fact, I have considered quite seriously to begin a hobby podcast on my own. This renewed interest has also brought some new voices to podcasting that both benefit and hinder the platform over all.
I have listened to podcasts for several years and, for the most part enjoy listening to them. With that experience, I had several pros and cons of listening to podcasts that I have developed over time.
Pros:
With podcasting, the speed of information flows to you quite quickly. Unlike a blog other reading material, the listener can absorb much more information more quickly through listening to podcasts.
The information is typically presented in a conversational or story form, which aids in the ability to recall the information.
With listening to podcasting comes the inherent ability to multi-task. Podcast listening lends itself to doing something else, driving, doing laundry, or cleaning the basement.
One of the nice things about podcasting is also the fact that podcasting brings the information through an entertainment value. In most cases, the podcasts are entertaining and bring the information in a nonthreatening way.
Cons:
My biggest issue with listening to podcasts is the time it takes to focus on the podcast. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but when the drive to work is only ten minutes, it takes a couple of days to get through a podcast. To listen to podcasts, there needs to be some amount of focused time available.
Another concern for newer podcast listeners is the wide selection of podcasters. While, in some way, this may be a good problem to have, the amount of podcasts that are out there can be overwhelming. It is also critical that one listens to the quality podcasts to get the most benefit. Personally, if they are marked as explicit, the podcasters are not worth listening to, because they have no idea what it means to be professional. This may shorten your list a little bit.
A final con with listening to podcasts is a result of the first “Pro” for listening. With the speed of information flow available from listening, comes the information overload potentially attached to that. Many podcasts have so much information to put out that the podcast is a steady stream and there is no way to catch it all. It is a good problem to have, but a problem none the less.
These are just some of the Pros and Cons that I have recognized as a listener. If you are a listener, you have your list as well. I still recommend listening to podcasts because the weight of the Pros certainly outweigh the possible inconveniences of the Cons.
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