The media and the role of new subcultures in the digital revolution – the influence of podcasts on youth movements and collective ideas

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The media and the role of new subcultures in the digital revolution – the influence of podcasts on youth movements and collective ideas

Alla Kravchenko

Received 04.07.2025, Revised 07.11.2025, Accepted 17.12.2025

https://doi.org/10.67524/verus4/1.2025.41

Retrieved from Vol. 1, No. 1, 2025

Pages 41-52

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the channels and means through which podcasts influence the formation of youth subcultures, social movements, and collective meanings in the digital media environment. The study was based on comparative analysis, conceptual analysis of scholarly literature, functional analysis, and case analysis of podcast projects. It was established that podcasts occupy an intermediate position between traditional media and social platforms. According to recent data, 83% of young people aged 16-24 are regular podcast listeners, while 73% of the America population aged 12+ have consumed podcasts at least once. The regularity of audio content consumption and personalised recommendation mechanisms contribute to the emergence of stable digital communities. Political podcasts have transformed into an environment for civic mobilisation: Pod Save America mobilised hundreds of thousands of volunteer actions during the 2020-2024 election campaigns. The political podcast The Rest Is Politics gathered 15,000-20,000 spectators at a live event in London, demonstrating the transition of audio content into offline communities. Environmentally oriented podcasts combine educational functions with climate activism; educational podcasts perform informal civic socialisation. The functions of podcasts in the youth environment are identified, each accompanied by both positive outcomes and potential risks. Podcasts have become an independent socio-cultural space within which new models of collective identity, digital solidarity, and civic activity of young people are being formed. The influence was determined not only by content but also by the combination of parasocial interaction, algorithmic personalisation, and network self-organisation, creating prerequisites for new subcultural formations in the digital age. The results can be used by media communications and civic education specialists to develop interaction strategies with youth communities

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Suggested citation
Kravchenko, A. (2025). The media and the role of new subcultures in the digital revolution – the influence of podcasts on youth movements and collective ideas. Journal of Media & Social Change, 1(1), 41-52. https://doi.org/10.67524/verus4/1.2025.41