I’ve never listened to a podcast at 1.5x or 2x speed. I might eventually, but I know why I haven’t so far: because, unlike certain kinds of reading, there’s no reason for me to get through podcasts any faster. I listen to podcasts the way I listen to sports talk radio—as a pleasant stream of voices that fills the background when I’ve got a background that needs filling. I can tune in and tune out without missing something important and getting lost (this isn't to say I don't ever pay close attention). The texture, the humor, and the sounds of the voices all matter more to me than the information the podcast is transmitting to me, and speeding it up would ruin those. Podcasts are low on informational density and thus a terrible way to transmit it; even the more “educational" episodes could compress their true teachings into a bulleted article that would take five minutes to read. So listening to a podcast at a multiple of its intended speed goes against the grain of the medium, which is better suited to soothe, comfort, entertain, or saturate the environment than to impart knowledge.
#92: Not Here to Learn
#92: Not Here to Learn
#92: Not Here to Learn
I’ve never listened to a podcast at 1.5x or 2x speed. I might eventually, but I know why I haven’t so far: because, unlike certain kinds of reading, there’s no reason for me to get through podcasts any faster. I listen to podcasts the way I listen to sports talk radio—as a pleasant stream of voices that fills the background when I’ve got a background that needs filling. I can tune in and tune out without missing something important and getting lost (this isn't to say I don't ever pay close attention). The texture, the humor, and the sounds of the voices all matter more to me than the information the podcast is transmitting to me, and speeding it up would ruin those. Podcasts are low on informational density and thus a terrible way to transmit it; even the more “educational" episodes could compress their true teachings into a bulleted article that would take five minutes to read. So listening to a podcast at a multiple of its intended speed goes against the grain of the medium, which is better suited to soothe, comfort, entertain, or saturate the environment than to impart knowledge.