Podmania

I love podcasts. I listen to them constantly, And have been heavily into them since I first got an internet capable device. There are more than 25 podcasts in my channel, and I regularly listen to more than 20 of them, most within the span of a week. I listen to them for hours every week, during travel time or in the background while doing other stuff. I have gone through their archives and listened to every podcast. In total, it's probably hundreds of hours of listening. I am an addict, and constantly need a fix.

Like the other challenges, this month I am trying to break my habit of over-consumption of a medium instead of something from my diet.  I have come to feel it is excessive and obsessive. In my defense, I listen to them in place of watching TV, and I also listen as I am out and about in the world. However, I also listen when I am playing video games or doing nothing at all, so they are a soundtrack to my life. And just like an addict, I feel as though I can;t do without them. More than internet, TV, or video games, I am much more at a loss without podcasts. Not listening to them has made me realize I had become really dependent on them when I was out in the world. It created a kind of tunnel vision in which I didn't pay attention to the world around me. Because they are voices talking, it distracts you from what's going on around you. You're still aware of the world around you, but you don't appreciate it as much.

It's different from listening to music when you're out, which can enhance the way you're feeling and your appreciation. It's something the long, long, winter made me forget.