Podcasts for teenagers

At least since the beginning of the corona pandemic, podcasts have become very popular among young people. Young people listen not only to age-appropriate podcasts, but occasionally to ones aimed primarily at adults.

What is a podcast?

Podcasts are usually audios that can be accessed online, subscribed to, and sometimes saved to listen to over and over again. There are also video podcasts or podcast that are played out as audio and video. New episodes are published on a regular basis. Many podcast formats have a major overarching theme, such as sports, culture, or news. They can be completed stories per episode or sequels. Very popular are, among others, true-crime podcasts, in which real criminal cases are re-told.

Podcasts are in trend

Audio formats are easy to listen to on the go and are good at relieving boredom. There are podcasts where people talk about their everyday life or “God and the world” as well as thematic formats. Hearing people are entertained and learn new things. Often podcasts are personal, which makes young listeners feel close to podcasters, similar to influencers on social media.

On the one hand, there are podcasts that are deliberately made for young people and dedicated to youth topics. On the other hand, more and more influencers are producing podcasts, which are therefore also interesting for their young fans. They are called “Dick & Doof”, “Hobbylos” or “Gemütlich Nachsitzen”.

What should parents pay attention to?

Up to now, podcasts have not had to be age-labeled in the same way as videos or games in order to protect minors. So anyone can publish a podcast with any content. Therefore, regularly ask what podcasts your child listens to and find out about them. Young people have access to all kinds of podcasts via portals like Spotify and the like. Via the platform’s algorithm, other content is suggested that they cannot assess. Podcasts also include more and more advertising, sometimes read aloud by the podcasters themselves or played in by the platforms before or after. Many podcasts are financed through this.

Listening recommendations for teenagers

Podcast aimed specifically at young people are usually commercial-free, have an age recommendation, and address topics of interest to young people. But there are definitely podcasts that don’t have a specific age recommendation, but are still well suited for teens. We have put together a few tips:

• Where’s the pressure? – recommended for ages 13 and up, available on various platforms (including Spotify and Podimo): Two actresses from the youth series DRUCK talk about their personal experiences around first love, annoying parents or bullying;
• Heinefunk – recommended for ages 11 and up, available via various platforms (including ApplePodcast and Spotify): The podcast of a high school can also be exciting, because here students themselves get to speak. It’s about current school life, which can also be interesting for outsiders – or the suggestion to set up your own school podcast.
• TWEEN Screen – recommended for ages 11 and up; available via ARD Audiothek and Podimo: The youth podcast from MDR addresses the topic of media use and answers questions from young users.

For more tips on podcasts for teens, check out Webhelm and the city magazine Kangaroo.