Are Podcasts the New Pornography?

As we approach our ninth consecutive month in the Q, we are undoubtedly feeling quarantigue. We have all binged multiple series of TV shows, started and ended weird diets, and have tried to incorporate a new activity into our lives (case in point for what mine is). It is hard to keep things fresh when staying home and laying low is literally a matter of life or death. Restaurants opening up the past couple of months have definitely been a welcome refresh and I have planned out my entire social life based on reservations I have been able to get. However, as much as we all love to see our friends and catch up, I have soon realized that , just like everything else in quarantine, even this gets stale. It is getting harder to get it up for our friends when nothing is changing in either of our lives. No one has a black out night of regret (and if they did during this time an intervention would be the only appropriate response), or a fun new sexual escapade to excitedly talk about over drinks. The fact that every aspect of our lives has to be planned and booked right now takes away the entire notion of chance encounter or spontaneity is void from our lives.

Not to get too morbid, but even socializing has me fatigued now. This brings me to my next point. I am an avid podcast listener. It might have to do with my basic millennial identity of multitasking or my general anxiety that makes me feel unproductive unless I am keeping myself constantly busy and entertained. But, I have increasingly found during this pandemic that I feel more interested in podcasts than in other real, human people. How sad.

I remember reading about research that has discussed this similar phenomenon in other entertainment forms – namely pornography. As porn has become more accessible and even pops up unsolicited on sites, it is not surprising that many people have formed a kind of addiction to pornography and even prefer watching it to actually taking part in real sex. This seems parallel to what I am experiencing right now. I feel more interested and engaged being a voyeur to conversations, interviews, and repartee that I am not actually involved in.

Before we resign ourselves to feeling helpless in the face of technology (thanks for illuminating this @thesocialdilemma), I don’t necessarily think this is a terrible thing. Upon further reflection, I realized that podcasts and porn are literally entertainment. As in, the people talking or doing other stuff are literally hired to entertain all of us. Therefore, no shit, we are sometimes more interested in that than in our friend’s return-to-work date or dalliances with fostering puppy. I think that it is all about how we use these mediums to supplement our lives rather than fill voids. Podcasts are fabulous because they are entertaining, funny, and honestly teach me a lot. Just like how porn is entertaining, titillating, and can even inspire ways to spice up our sex lives. As long as I am reflective of my consumption, I feel less worried that I am forming an addiction and will soon be alone in a basement with nothing but listening to strangers speak while I laugh along.