The effect of a long time listening to the radio has absolutely nothing to do with that of many hours watching television. There is a lot of agreement that it is healthier and this is so, among other reasons, because it is the medium that adapts better to our daily rhythm. It has a format that allows us to carry out many other activities simultaneously, for example, moving around.
People listen to the radio while driving, walking down the street, cooking, carrying out household chores and, in general, doing work that does not require great concentration. Many people listen to it in the workplace and cannot conceive (or we cannot conceive) of life without radio.
Some studies show the health benefits of radio,
Some universities have shown that (specifically, and with regard to melodies), listening to happy music or music that we like, reduces stress, heart rate and blood pressure, for example.
There are also others on soft music or quiet programs, which can help us to deactivate the necessary to put us in a position to sleep. In addition, the speakers who talk to us, inform us, make us awaken emotions, and help us to reduce the feeling of loneliness. It is common that when an announcer or a commentator is unable to do a program, a listener calls the station asking if he/she is well.
Advantages of radio
Some are shared by other media. Others are our own.
- Listening to the radio every day helps us to have a more solid general culture. And this is so because it keeps us up to date with the most varied news, curiosities, opinions and topics. With radio we receive information and context, which help us understand the world.
- It entertains us: that’s why we choose a station, or a program, or another.
- It keeps us company: it makes us feel a little bit (especially in the chats), as if we were among friends.
- It awakens our imagination: it plays an important role from a cognitive and emotional point of view in a very natural way. For example, sometimes they talk to us about places or situations, and it is almost as if we saw it; or who has not happened to imagine the face of a speaker he does not know?
Radio engages us, even if we are not able to see the image of the person who is speaking, and this aspect is (precisely) what differentiates it from other media. At the moment they tune in to their favorite station, most people tend (or have) to create a mental image of the speaker and what he or she is saying.
Is it good for children to listen to the radio?
Of course, but taking care of what they listen to, as we would do with any other media. Music programs, science programs, movies, books, sports, and culture in general can be great for our children depending on their age.
One gift, which I think is great for a teenager, can be a simple radio. I know that we can listen to it from the computer or a cell phone, but really and from a psychological point of view, if we get the teenager to leave computers and cell phones and enjoy a simple battery-powered radio (or one that plugs in), we will be opening their focus and teaching them leisure alternatives that, many times, they don’t even know about.
My recommendation in this regard is to stop and think a little about what programs our children might be interested in and listen to them, at least initially.
Many times, in order to move forward, to make progress, we have to go back to what we used to do before, to listen to that radio in the family, because it (also) favors interactions, conversations, the different topics that should be part of family life.
No other means of communication accompanies as well as the radio. If they listen to it as children, it is likely that they will never stop listening to it, even if there are stages in which they listen to it less.
And for adults, can you think of any case in which it might be particularly recommendable?
On some occasions we have dealt with the issue of couples with communication problems, who have not really been talking for years (they do not know what to talk about), to whom we often recommend initially to do some activity (cultural, for example) together, to later have some topic to talk about, beyond the errands that are given in the day to day. Well, listening to the radio together (as long as the program interests both of you) promotes perfect occasions to share ideas, opinions and comment on information.
In this sense, it can be a good starting point, within the reach of any couple.
Can it help us to improve our health?
Of course, radio is a means of communication capable of helping in the modification of unhealthy lifestyles, both from a physical and psychological point of view.
It contributes to disease prevention and brings health issues closer to home. In my opinion, health communication through radio plays an essential role, which is related to the trust it generates in listeners.
Radio undoubtedly generates confidence and has a clear educational function in this sense, in helping us to improve and preserve our health.
Does radio save lives?
In times of crisis and emergencies in some parts of the world, for example, when we do not have access to any means of communication (because they do not work), the radio is still received. In this sense, (apart from many others that I can think of) I am sure that radio saves lives by broadcasting early warnings and alerts so that communities can prepare for natural disasters, for example.
Radio is probably (or, without a doubt, I would say) the medium best suited to crisis situations, because it is the most universal, the simplest and the most accessible. It has always accompanied citizens, both in their daily lives and in the most complicated moments.