Fighting, running, hiding
Stories from Ireland and Italy

Why Gen Z Loves Audio Stories

We yearn to connect, to engage, and to have a rare chance to focus. Plus, we simply cannot stand silence.
Audio story: 12:39 minutes

About Post Author

About the Author

Alison Allocco
Long Hill, N.J.
@alisonalllocco

Professor: Chenjerai Kumanyika
Class: Podcasting and Audio Documentary

Takeaway:
I thought I knew why our generations are attracted to this medium. I had talked to countless friends about our collective fear of silence and incessant need for company, but I did not consider the value that the content of a specific episode can offer in times of uprising or collective unease. I produced this podcast during the pandemic, not long after Black Lives Matter protests filled the streets in the summer of 2020. One of the podcasts that guided me through the tumultuous time was Gimlet Media's "Resistance." I came to realize why this podcast had such an impact on me. Podcasts help us think critically about the world around us through the eyes of others who are having these experiences firsthand. They help us think through painful and difficult news stories, rather than making us feel helpless about the strife in the world around us. Producing this podcast only made me love this medium even more.