Niskayuna Student Launches Podcast Discussing Mental Health Within Schools

Podcasts and digital audio files open for public listening have been becoming increasingly popular within the U.S and internationally in recent years. The number of people who listen to podcasts continues to increase by the millions. In the U.S., during the year 2006, it was estimated that only 11 million people had ever listened to a podcast, but today, in 2022, that number is expected to be about 62 million. When it comes to worldwide estimates, approximately 424 million people currently listen to podcasts.

The time spent listening by these individuals vary dramatically. Some tune in during a car ride to work一which lasts for around 25-30 minutes a day, or for longer periods of time at home, perhaps for an hour or so. Others are noticeably more devoted to listening to their podcasts: a 2019 study discovered that 22% of listeners listen to over 22 hours worth of podcasts per week. In the United States, that would mean 13,640,000 podcast enthusiasts listen for this time duration weekly, and worldwide that number approximately is 93,280,000 people.

The question arises: why do people enjoy listening to podcasts so much? The majority of listeners say it is because they want to stay up to date and learn new things, from details about interesting locations or unsolvable/solved crimes, to trending book recommendations, daily news, and much more. The list of subjects seems almost endless. Lately, one of the most popular and prominent podcast types are those about advice and self-help, which have been greatly enjoyed among podcast listeners in recent years.

Niskayuna student, junior Celia Hernandez, has recently launched one of these types of podcasts. At school, Celia is a member of the Yearbook Club and recently joined the robotics club as well. Celia enjoys writing, reading, and learning about history. In the future, she wants to become a child and family therapist, focusing on child therapy. Celia explains the reasons she made the podcast, “one part was the fact that I’ve experienced lots of difficulties at school, especially with my ADHD and a lot of different things that I’ve experienced throughout my life.” “Especially with mental health issues, I’ve realized that I’ve felt alone and without the friends that I have, I probably could be in a much darker place than I am today,” she continues. “Not everyone has the friends I do, in all honesty, and I don’t know if this podcast will help everyone, but if it only helps one person realize they aren’t alone and…that people are there to help them, then I’ll feel much better” Hernandez says of what drives her.

For those listening, the title of the podcast 504 to 4.0 may stick out as intriguing. This name was combined with two factors: one, being the fact that Celia has a 504 plan, and two, that a 4.0 GPA is considered the “perfect GPA.” Another prominent feature of Celia’s podcast is its cover, which contains the quote, “not the idea of perfection, but the idea of success.” This quote was inspired by Celia’s mom, and an idea that Celia shares: the belief that success is what you make it, not the perfection that others may envision as success.

With the launch of her new podcast, Celia states that her goal is “to be able to deal with whatever comes your way and talk about positive coping mechanisms and not turn towards the negative ones, which I know I have done myself. I want people to not only know, but to understand that you are not alone in whatever you're dealing with; things will get better, even if not exactly right away.” She explains, “I want people to be more open to asking for help, because I know a lot of people, especially in our generation [turn to more negative solutions.] Hernandez shares that the podcast helps her too: “I am dealing with some of these issues myself, so the ability to help other people get through this [while] also trying to get myself through this, knowing I’m not alone [helps]”.

Celia has been facing obstacles in the process of upstarting the platform. Although Celia has friends who tune into the podcasts, she struggles with finding the right group and audience to begin with, as well as discovering outside people who want to listen, which can make it difficult to grow the platform. Another challenge Celia faces is finding time to make podcasts, in between school and being able to continue this by herself. However, Hernandez is determined to continue: “this isn’t something to stop because it’s bigger than just me… it’s [about] more people, especially those who listen to it.”

In the future, Celia aims to keep creating weekly podcasts and bringing in others to speak out about their experiences, which listeners may also be able to resonate or relate to. She hopes that people will listen to the 504 to 4.0 podcast regularly, instead of randomly tuning in once in a while. Upcoming discussion topics include men’s mental health, a further discussion on ADHD symptoms and resulting issues, and general student mental health. If people have issues they need help, Celia is also very willing to talk and provide comfort.

When asked about the most important thing people know about this podcast, Celia answers, “I definitely want people to listen to and understand that no matter what you are going through, you aren’t alone. As long as you know you are trying your best, that’s all you need一you’ll be successful no matter what anyone else has or wants to say about it.” If you are interested in listening to the podcast, you can find the 504 to 4.0 podcast on Spotify. You can also find the podcast on instagram, @504.4.0