I know people who spend all their working life with some podcast going over the topics of the day ad nauseum in their airpods. Then they get in the car and the podcast is still playing. Still playing while at the gym. Still playing cooking dinner. I know a few people who have to hear podcasts playing on their phone to be able to sleep now.

At that point it's a stand in for talk radio. Some of my grandparents used to use that as white noise.

Or they’re watching a developing story and want to be in the know as soon as new information is released.

If its about current events usually its "lets take something that can be succinctly digested in three paragraphs from reuters and stretch it into 45 monetized minutes". I find podcasts are a lot of noise and not a lost of signal for the most part. It makes sense given the incentive structures.

Ah you have never met my grandparents who have Fox News on just about all day in the background kinda like radio.

maybe senior citizens with 24 hour news channels on all day are over represented in their sample?

Or millenials listening to joe rogan at work.

i dont actually know any millennials personally that like joe rogan much less listen to him.

Be thankful your circle is so learned. He wouldn't be offered millions if people weren't tuning in.

I figured he was aimed at genXers as his average listener is according to google in their late 40s