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Podcasts push healthy living advice. They push supplements and nutritional products all the time. But are they really leading people to a healthier life or encouraging them to work harder and consume more? Peter Kelly explains…

When we think of propaganda, we think of North Korea and some megalomaniac dictator making outlandish claims like he is the best golfer in the world or he never poos because he is special.

We think of China rewriting history, denials that the Tiananmen square massacre ever happened or opening a museum to Covid in Wuhan and stating how China saved the world from the pandemic.

We don’t often think of the propaganda we are subjected to – and we are constantly subjected to propaganda. Social media has really amplified this. What is the big thing western countries want their citizens to do?

They want us to be workaholics who consume a lot. That is kind of it. So, every bit of messaging you receive, you have to ask yourself ‘is this real and is it nonsense to try and get me to spend more money?’

You may all be aware of Steven Bartlett from the podcast Diary of a CEO saying he had a glass of wine and it ruined his week. Podcasts have really become synonymous with pushing ‘healthy living’ advice.

They push supplements and nutritional products all the time. But are they really leading you to a healthier life or are they trying to encourage you to work harder and consume more?

Another thing that keeps popping up on podcast clips on social media is that young people are apparently struggling with dating. This does not really make sense. It should be easier for people to date now more than ever.

Men and women are not as segregated as before. We work together, we share public spaces now. The last men-only private members clubs, I think, have now been opened up to female members. It has never been more acceptable to be gay, non-binary, etc.

We have never been more connected and we have more tools to communicate at our disposal. So, how can it be that dating is harder? It should be really easy. We have dating apps, you no longer need to wait for the weekend to go to a nightclub and dance with one eye scanning the room for a suitable suitor.

You can proposition potential suitors while sitting on the toilet. I believe the reason dating has become harder is because of the propaganda. Young people are told that the most important thing in attracting a partner is looks. This is nonsense. Conversation and communication are far more important than looks.

Two people who feel secure and confident communication with one another and enjoy rich, varied conversations but do not necessarily see each other as the best looking people in the world will have a much better and successful relationship than two people who think the other is absolutely gorgeous but do not know how to communicate with one another and have no interest in actually talking to each other.

So, why are we told this lie? Convincing people that they will find a partner if they were better looking is a really easy way to get people to spend more money on products.

Clothes, makeup, cosmetic surgery, haircuts, nails, the list is endless. If we told young people to pursue people they like talking to, it would just not be as profitable.

I think this is just one part of what makes dating so hard for young people – they are constantly trying to solve the wrong problem…how they look. The pressure now to be the perfect corporate employee, even when you do not work for a corporation, is relentless.

The wellness and purity lifestyle. You can’t fall in love with someone who does not have flaws. Humans will always love toddlers and dogs. Why? Because they are helpless, silly and they do things they are not supposed to. They wee on couches!

Young people are being told to be self-sufficient, perfect beings. It is just not attractive. It is boring. Life is a balance and it has always been a balance. Icarus, for my money, is still the greatest story ever told. Fly too close to the sun and you lose your wings. Fly too close to the sea and you lose your wings. You’ve got to stay in the middle.

That is where the successful life lies. Work during the week, earn your living, nobody wants to be homeless or hungry. But on your days off, live a disorganised, imperfect life.

Do not listen to the propaganda, do not spend your weekends doing yoga and meditation so you can have a clear head on Monday. Live your days off like a toddler, like a dog, be annoying to sit beside on public transport, wee on a couch and who knows, someone might fall in love with you!

Nobody has ever fallen in love with someone who was perfect and never forgets to take their vitamins.

Peter Kelly is a pharmacist based in London and a stand-up comedian.