Too Much Podcastrati
For the last five years, I’ve listened to the Podcastrati. But, who exactly are the Podcastrati? Here is a quasi-representative sketch of the median member of the Podcastrati:
- Male Podcast Host
- English-speaking, Westerner
- Moderate to center-left political perspective (some Podcastrati even attempt to be apolitical)
- Has a guest expert on his show to discuss a new book, new research or actionable ideas in hopes of improving the audience’s daily life. (My favorite episodes were where one Podcastrato appeared on another Podcastrato’s show, which often resulted in a full-blown podgasm.)
Here is a list of the Podcastrati (in no particular order): Tim Ferriss, Sam Harris, Shane Parrish, Ezra Klein, Yascha Mounk, Coleman Hughes, Andrew Sullivan, Bari Weiss, Peter Attia, Scott Barry Kaufman, Lex Fridman, Andrew Huberman, Tyler Cowen, Cal Newport, Ryan Holiday, Dax Shephard.
Why call this loose confederacy of podcasters the “Podcastrati”? Because portmanteaus are funny, that’s why.
On average, I listened to the Podcastrati for 5-10 hours per week over this five-year period, which equates to roughly 1,250 to 2,500 hours of podcast episodes (and no telling how many ads for Athletic Greens).
Listening to this much content has exposed me to new ideas, people, life hacks, and practices (placebos?) that I'd likely remain ignorant of absent these shows. Almost all of the books I’ve read over this time frame were either written by guests on these podcasts or were recommended within a podcast episode. Road trips were supplemented by these interesting conversations. My life was undoubtedly enriched by listening to the Podcastrati.
However…
It’s time to start cutting back. I don’t believe in unalloyed goods. Despite the numerous benefits of listening to the Podcastrati, there were also some real drawbacks, like:
1) I became more passive, consumerist, and permission-seeking. On any given day, some portion of the actions I took, ideas I had, and even the words I spoke were mediated through what the guest “experts” or Podcastrati themselves had discussed.
2) I required some tonic level of auditory stimulation to feel like I was “productive.” I couldn’t go on a walk without my earbuds in and a podcast episode playing. This killed my creativity.
3) I deluded myself into a false sense of moral and intellectual superiority because I felt I was imbibing knowledge that most of my friends and family were not exposed to. But, in all honesty, my experience of podcast listening likely equated to playing Mozart for a baby in the crib—mere background noise in hopes of somehow making myself smarter (through osmosis maybe?).
4) Because of this grandiose sense of self, I developed weird, parasocial relationships with the Podcastrati, where I preferred listening to their conversations over conversing with the people in my community. I started wondering, “What would (insert any name of Podcastrati)’s take on this situation be? What would I talk about if I were a guest on his show? Would we become friends after my guest appearance? Would he think I am as smart and interesting as his other guests?”
5) I became inured to my job. Rather than using the dullness of my work responsibilities to catalyze me into finding a better job, I began looking forward to those tedious and repetitive tasks (like working in spreadsheets) because they presented an opportunity to listen to a new podcast episode and “feel productive”.
Now, none of the drawbacks listed above are inherently concomitant of podcast listening. They are a list of potential side effects that may occur in any given Podcastrati listener.
So what?
I’m glad you asked. If, while reading the above list, you noticed that you’ve experienced any of those drawbacks, here are some interventions that might reduce your habitual overconsumption of podcast episodes. At least they’ve worked for me thus far. (And yes, the irony is not lost on me that much like a Podcastrati episode, I am providing my audience a list of actions they can take):
- Limit podcast consumption only for long commutes
- Devote more time to reading books (even if they were recommended by the Podcastrati)
- Make meditation part of your daily routine
- Go on long walks without headphones, but bring something to capture the many ideas you’ll have (pocket sized notebook, or your phone if you know you won’t listen to podcasts)
- Figure out a pet project you can start devoting the glut of newfound time and ideas you’ve made available—maybe start a blog…