Yes, I know everyone from your neighbor to your elementary school PE teacher has a podcast these days, but now SO DO I!
To be honest, this project has been a long time coming. While I have really enjoyed blogging, and connecting on Instagram, there’s something about the podcast medium that really speaks to me. For one thing, I spend a lot of my own time listening to podcasts. I love everything from parenting podcasts like Raising Good Humans, What Fresh Hell, and The Mom Hour, to current events pods like You’re Wrong About, Pantsuit Politics and The Argument. And I particularly delight in pop culture digests like The Ringer Dish and Bachelor Party (I don’t even actually watch The Bachelor anymore, because the podcast content alone is so fantastic).
I love the way that listening to a podcast can make you feel like you’re taking part in a conversation between people you respect or admire. I love how a podcast interview can provide listeners with a really authentic glimpse into the perspectives of others, and can help model the many different ways in which we can (and should) listen to, and argue with, each other. And I love how accessible podcasts are: accessible enough that even the busiest of busy moms can pop some headphones in during bath time and catch up on everything from politics, to new publications, to the current Bachelor’s hometown dates.
Origin Story
While I had noodled on the idea of starting a podcast of my own for a while, the premise of this one didn’t come up until one evening, not too long ago, when my husband and I found ourselves scrolling our phones after the kids went to bed. You can find the whole story on… you guessed it… my podcast, so I won’t go to deep into it here, but basically we got to talking about my own instagram presence, and why in the world I would choose to put myself out there online in the way that I had. At the end of the conversation, I found that I had learned some things about myself (and my own reasons for being on the internet) that I hadn’t been fully cognizant of before, and I went to bed that night even more curious about why other people–particularly the other moms I had interacted with on Instagram–also chose to live their lives (or at least a piece of their lives) online.
At the end of the day, there are probably a million different reasons as to why people in general, and moms in particular, choose to take to the internet. And since a million good reasons make for a million good episodes, I sat down the next evening to birth a podcast.
Why We’re On The Internet
And after talking to several “women of the internet,” and digging deep into my own reasons for being online, I’ve found some interesting patterns.
The first one, is that I do think our collective internet presence is, to some degree, an attention-seeking behavior. But, contrary to popular opinion, I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with that. Attention, after all, is a pretty basic human need, and if there’s anything I learned while momming during a pandemic, it’s that social isolation and an inability to engage with the broader networks that normally fulfill our need for connection and “attention,” can have some pretty dire consequences for our own mental health (and that of our kids).
And I think most of us would agree that, in a world full of noise, attention should be sought by, and given to, those who really have a story to tell–whether that story be one of self-love, acceptance, or the real joy a great outfit or a good book can bring.
But, all of that being said, I also think that attention and connection are just one part of why so many of us, and particularly so many moms, turn to the online sphere.
While all of the women I’ve interviewed so far live in different parts of the country, and come from different walks of life, and choose to share different parts of themselves online, they all have a lot in common as well. All of them have a passion for something–be it books, or clothes, or cultivating a garden–that they want to share with others. They also all share the desire to teach, and to draw others into whatever “niche” they’ve found connection, fulfillment, and meaning in. And all of them have had a struggle, or a lack, of some kind, which has been significant enough to cause them to turn to the internet as a means of cultivating joy in their own lives, while also helping to support others in the ways they, themselves, might not have been supported before.
Being able to speak with these women, and to share their stories of humanity, passion and “influence,” has been a real bright spot in my life lately, and my greatest hope is that it brings a little extra light into yours as well.
I’m Not A Podcaster (Yet).
But, I also think it’s important to note that while a big part of me is doing this podcast as a way to learn from other inspiring women, another part of me is doing it for slightly more selfish reasons. So let me back up for a moment:
Once, during my first year of teaching, a supervisor requested that I help MC a school talent show. After staring at said supervisor in shock for several minutes, I told her, as bluntly as possible, that I would not be able to fulfill such a request, as telling bad jokes in front of a room full of students and their parents would inevitably cause me to fall into fits of nervous vomiting. I would, however, be much better at running auditions, or working backstage.
In return, said supervisor told me: “If you want to grow, you have to do the things you’re bad at–even when they’re a little scary.”
I used that line with a lot of students in the past 10 years. And now, I’m using it with myself.
Am I the best conversationalist in the world? No. Do I consider myself an excellent listener? Certainly not. Do I know absolutely anything about sound editing, or podcast hosting? (Cue husband’s laughter in the background). That would be another, resounding no.
But being brave enough to take risks, reach out to people I don’t know, and learn how to really listen to what others have to teach me are skills that I know would enhance my life, and maybe even the lives of those around me, in a really positive way. So, here we are, with another project about learning, sharing and self-improvement, and another journey that I’m asking all of you to come on with me.
If you have a chance to listen, you can find the pod on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, as well as the link in my Instagram bio. You can also follow the pod online at @whyareyouontheinternet.
Thanks for reading, and listening, and make sure to leave a comment or review with your thoughts! Have a fabulous day friends!