One of the latest crazes on music streaming platforms is the making and listening of podcasts,  a more passive way to be entertained. Nowadays, people run errands, complete chores, or finish schoolwork while listening to a podcast that keeps their mind occupied. Juniors Trinity Nguyen and Annalise Alexander have joined the podcasting community in releasing their podcast: “Study Hall with Trinity and Annalise.”

The podcast has garnered attention for its takes on pressing topics for high school students and its “storytime” segments. The duo have released 16 episodes since their debut last summer and show no signs of slowing down. Even though they are always balancing their schoolwork and personal lives, the juniors still find the time to record and upload their episodes on a bi-monthly basis on average.

“I feel like a lot of other podcasts aren’t run by high schoolers,” Nguyen said. “I think we give a unique insight to student life because we’re [currently] going through it and [students] will be able to relate to it more.”

Although relatable content has taken over the internet and social media, Trinity and Annalise have delved into topics that are less talked about by adult podcasters, who don’t have as much of a modern insight. 

“We [also] have listeners who are older, like parents,” Alexander said. “Parents also listen because we talk about what high schoolers today are going through and how it [differs] from when they were in high school.”

By also keeping their audience in mind, parents in particular, the duo can cater to their interests without letting go of their own ideas for episodes. There’s a lot of different episodes that cover different subjects such as academic validation, the prevalence of trends, and seasonal stories. Focus episodes on personal stories are a personal favorite of the podcasters. 

“I feel like everyone can find an episode [for themselves],” Nguyen said. “We want to give off the impression that even if you don’t listen to podcasts that often, ours can be an easygoing and casual listen for [anyone].”

Some of the most important societal topics discussed in the podcast are internet trends and social media. Nguyen and Alexander extensively talk about how, in today’s world, people are spending more time absorbing a lot of information. The fact that social media makes people more prone to following trends is also discussed.

“It’s kind of hard to avoid the trends now- you’re going to see them regardless of where you are in school, online-wherever,” Alexander said. “It’s like a question of like, are you following the trend because you genuinely like it or just because everyone else is doing it?”

Inspired by the new year, Nguyen and Alexander have wanted to branch out in regards to episode ideas. Some new content ideas include: more storytimes about their past experiences and childhood, motivational segments and more guest episodes. Although most of their content does stem from personal experiences, Nguyen and Alexander try to expand their preliminary knowledge on some subjects before hopping on the mic.

“When you have the microphone on it’s like you’re more conscious of what you’re saying.” Nguyen said. “It’s hard when you don’t research enough–I personally would like to just turn on the mic and start talking [but] then we realize we don’t even know what to say about a certain topic.”

Nguyen and Alexander also have advice for any fellow podcasters or people who are starting out in the webcast world. Not only have they found it important to have several influences–whether they be other podcasts, or programs–but they’ve also emphasized having a specific vision because it helps to maintain a consistent theme.

“At the beginning, you’re not going to see much growth, but you have to keep…constantly posting because that’s the only way…the algorithm will… work in your favor,” Alexander said.

Many beginner podcasts made by students or lesser known people will not gain fame overnight, and it is easy to become discouraged. However, Nguyen and Alexander have proven tenacious in their pursuit by continuing to drop episodes and advertising on social media with their instagram page. The podcasters have also kept a certain level of anonymity in order to ensure their safety online while still sharing stories with their listeners.

“We don’t talk about our school specifically, like if we mentioned a story about us we say people’s names, unless it’s like a friend we’ve already talked about,” Nguyen said. “To maintain other people’s privacy as well as ours, we don’t divulge all the specific details of a situation.”

Although their safeguards prevent the duo from being fully transparent in their storytelling, it does not take away from their content nor the quality of their discussion. Nguyen and Alexander hope to captivate more listeners with their upcoming episodes featuring uplifting and lively topics. You can listen to “Study Hall with Trinity and Annalise” on Spotify or follow them on their Instagram: @studyhall.pod.

“Overall [one of the] the hardest things to do is keep people engaged especially ‘cause we’re young right?” Alexander said. “We do like we tell people in real life, but it’s more about getting strangers to listen as well, we also want students and other people from different places and different schools to be able to listen.”