Why I’m Not a Fan of Podcasts

I’m not into podcasts. For me they’re mostly time sinks, and not in a good way. I mean no disrespect to all the creators out there who put a lot of time and energy into something that a lot of people enjoy. It’s just that they (the podcasts, not the creators) are not my cup of tea. Here’s why.

• Low S/N Ratio Many (not all) of the podcasts I’ve tried have an ungodly amount of non-content in the form of ads and inane yammering. I understand why ads exist and I also understand that some listeners enjoy the banter between hosts and/or guests. But I’m more of a “just get to the point” kind of listener. (This is also my beef with YouTube videos.) Some people call me a “buzzsaw” because of this.

• I Prefer To Read With few exceptions, it is much faster and more efficient for me to consume content by reading than it is to listen or watch. I am not a patient person, generally speaking, although I am working on this.

• Doesn’t Fit My Schedule I was going to say “I don’t have time” but I have the same 24 hours as everyone else. In reality, listening to podcasts just doesn’t work with my routine. I don’t usually drive to work, and I can’t listen to anything other than music when I’m working (and it generally has to be instrumental music). Singing and speaking are too much of a distraction to me.

• Don’t Keep My Attention Even podcasts that start out interesting lose me before long. The exceptions are content-rich current affairs type shows, like The Foreign Desk on Monocle Radio. (Does this even count as a podcast?)

Maybe I just haven’t found the right ones for me yet. I’ll keep trying. If you have recommendations, send ‘em along.