Apple Podcasts never really recovered from its disastrous update last spring, and “keeps getting worse.” Why do listeners keep sticking with it? Joe Berkowitz, a steadfast user, may have cracked the code. Based on his personal experience, the reason has little to do with the app and much to do with human nature.
Berkowitz’s explanation in Fast Company is hilarious, uncomfortable, and deeply relatable. “The temporary epic friction of test-driving other podcast apps seems to outweigh the perpetual friction of continuing to use the one that’s currently making my life worse,” he laments. Better options aren’t on the path of least resistance.
Technological convenience is a powerful addiction, Berkowitz admits. “Does Apple know this about me — that I will never leave its cursed app?” Like millions of listeners, he’s used to the random crashes, eternal loading screens, and episodes getting ‘Raptured’ from his phone. But learning a new interface? Not a chance.
A voice coming from ‘inside our heads’ can be “twice as persuasive as one coming from a speaker,” according to new studies from UC San Diego, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. The Guardian’s Adrienne Matei spoke with researcher Alicea Lieberman, who came up with the idea to test the headphones vs. speaker hypothesis.
When Lieberman turned on This American Life in her car instead of her usual headphones, she noticed an odd lack of connection to Ira Glass: “I was like, ‘Wait a minute, why is that happening? And what does that mean for how I actually perceive these stories?” Five studies with 4,000+ participants suggest that she’s not alone.
‘In-head localization’ makes headphones “a superconductor for emotional connection,” Matei explains. Based on participants’ reactions to samples (like a PSA on distracted driving and an evocative speech clip) it checks out. If podcast hosts start encouraging listeners to pop on their headphones, we’ll know why.
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