We Don't Listen But We Still Judge
- Jan 23
- 4 min read
“Listening to audiobooks is not reading!” all caps in comments, loud on YouTube videos, big flashy letters on posts - many have seen it and heard it lately. Especially with the rise of bookish content creators sharing their recommendations and feedback on the cast performance and audiobook quality.
The crowd is divided, obviously, as that’s what social media is about - you either love it or hate it. Staying neutral is not an option, because if you are, you really don’t know anything about the topic.
I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t been a supporter of audiobooks until a year and a half ago, mainly because I didn’t have enough information to form an actual opinion to take my stand. In all fairness, I didn’t believe in ebooks until 6 years ago, so people can change their opinions. Imagine that!
So, what’s the deal with audiobooks?
HISTORY OF AUDIOBOOKS
To answer that question, we need to look back in time a little bit.
Believe it or not, the first audiobook was recorded in 1932, a year after the American Foundation of the Blind and the Library of Congress Book for the Blind Project established the Talking Book Program.* The test audio recordings included chapters from Helen Keller’s "Midstream" and Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Raven." Many books followed, and the ones available were distributed to schools and libraries.
In 1963, the cassette tape was invented (yes, some of us millennials still have them in our homes), which made creating audiobooks much easier. In 2004, cassette tapes were replaced with CDs, which were consequently replaced by digital downloads in 2009.
In 2012, Audiobook annual publication increased 125% from 7200 to 16,309 books that year.
Fast-forwarding to the year behind us (2025), Audiobook sales revenue reached $2.22 billion, with more than half of the (only) US population over 18 having listened to audiobooks.
Everything started with a noble cause, allowing people with impaired sight to consume what’s written in books either for education or for pleasure, like the rest of us.
Now that you have that information, do you still think listening to audiobooks is not reading?
DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCE TYPES
Before you want to continue with the criticism, there are some facts that many don’t take into consideration.
Humans have different types of intelligence. No, I am not talking about how someone is smarter than someone else. I am talking about Howard Gardner’s suggestion that people can be intelligent in more than one way. He determined that there are 8 (sometimes 9) different types of intelligence, and guess what, based on that, we all absorb information differently.** Therefore someone’s preference for audiobooks rather than ebooks or physical copies.
Still not sure if listening to audiobooks is reading?
ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS
Let’s talk real-life examples.
The first audiobook I bought was Matthew McConnaghey’s "Greenlights". Why? Because I read the physical copy, it was amazing, and I figured it would be so good to hear him tell me this story, and it was amazing. I got a completely different impression of the topic and the messages he tried to convey through the book. It was easy to follow, and my hands were free to do whatever I needed to do around the house, while walking to the gym, or waiting in queues.
Now that’s just one example of how I used an audiobook.
Imagine a mother of 3 not having a lot of free time apart from some alone time in the car. Instead of listening to always depressing news about wars, raids, and new killer viruses, she chooses a book and feels lighter, feels like she did something for herself.
Imagine someone who has a manually demanding job but can wear headphones. Instead of always listening to music, they can play an audiobook and enjoy their favorite genre while working.
Walking a dog - listening to an audiobook, working out in the gym - listening to audiobooks, walking/cycling/commuting anywhere and listening to audiobooks. Examples are endless.
Besides, weren’t football and basketball games broadcast on the radio? Were the listeners not sports connoisseurs, fans, or enthusiasts? Listening to podcasts on your streaming services is not the same as watching the episode on YouTube or Patreon?
It’s really easy to judge or hate someone’s preference, but that doesn’t change the fact that the book content stays the same, no matter the medium of delivery. It’s just a matter of individual preference, means, and capabilities.
BENEFITS OF AUDIOBOOKS
With the rise of multicast audiobooks with sound effects and music, listening to books has even become more interesting and a great way to escape the sound pollution and activate the imagination that many have lost.
Immersive reading has also become a thing and has proven to improve reading comprehension, boost focus, and increase reading speed. By engaging both visual and auditory senses it can help with language learning, assist individuals with dyslexia or ADHD and also keep the reader engaged. Imagine how this can be helpful and good for people whose first language is not English.
So before having ‘an attitude’, take a pause and think about all the pros and cons of any human choice. I am happy as long as people choose books in whichever format, as it means that we are not deteriorating as a civilization, and there is still hope for us all.
What is your preferred choice of book consumption?
Physical Copy
eBook
Audiobook
Immersive Reading
You can vote for more than one answer.
