Laying on the beach or by the pool and listening to your favorite podcast, what better way to relax. More than just a distraction, this practice become trendy over the years could even improve mental health according to a study Australian and American published in 2022.
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the University of Queensland and Stanford collected questionnaires from 306 people, aged 18 to 64 years old. All from different countries, their listening habits and their personality traits have been deciphered in great detail over three years.
“Information needs likely motivate attention to podcasts, and certain types of listening may provide social gratifications”
Good news for the curious, People who have a high cognitive need appear more likely to become podcast listeners. information needs likely motivate attention, and certain types of listening may bring social benefits“, scientists say. This probably helps improve psychological health and may explain reduced risk of neurosis.
The power of the voice is also interesting. It can make a testimony much deeper than written testimony, and offer an immersive experience. According to researchers, listening to a podcast increases perceived intimacy with the host and promotes the desire to learn. “These results are consistent with previous research showing that open-mindedness and the curiosity are associated with the use other platforms online in the purpose of informing oneself“, they specify.
20 million listeners in 2023
But this media has a peculiarity much more enriching. It gives everyone a voice those who are not heard. This is what reports Mélissa Bounoua, co-founder of the production studio Louie Media podcastsduring an interview with the magazine ELLE. “The podcast is a way of passing the microphone to those who do not have the opportunity to go on television sets or radio shows,” she explains.
As the number of listeners continues to increase to reach 20 million in France in 2023, listening platforms offer a significant amount of podcasts which allow whatever happens, find happiness. And here is a selection of eight specialized mental health audios to accompany your summer, available on all platforms.
