For many generations, reading has been defined by people holding books, eyes scanning lines of text and flipping through pages. However, technology continues to reshape the way we consume information, and audiobooks have become a vital way individuals engage with news, stories or any type of text. Audiobooks have become an efficient way to digest books within a busy schedule. Personally, audiobooks allow me to stay on top of my reading while running. 

Despite this, audiobooks are often disregarded as “real” reading due to their lack of deciphering words on a page. This statement lacks one simple truth: audiobooks do count as reading, and are even supported by science.

The fundamentals of reading are not only the physical act of looking at words on a page, but the comprehension and meaning of the text. When someone listens to an audiobook, they are following a plot, processing the author’s syntax and tone, exploring characters and understanding the story the same way a physical book reader does. The brain does not stop analyzing the storyline and vocabulary just because the words enter through the ears rather than the eyes. 

In fact, the Benjamin Franklin Institute found in a study that the understanding of a story or text did not differ largely between individuals who used an audiobook or read a physical book. If audiobooks are able to deliver information to the reader in the same capacity as a physical book, why do audiobooks not count as “real” reading?

Audiobooks also expand story access to readers who may be excluded from reading physical books. Individuals with dyslexia, visual impairments or learning difficulties can experience and develop a love for reading without encountering setbacks. 

Additionally, audiobooks can expose English language learners or individuals of any age to more advanced vocabulary and learn the proper pronunciation of certain words at the same time. Furthermore, audiobooks allow busy people to fit reading into their schedule, whether it is doing chores, exercising or commuting. Audiobooks make it easier for people to read more.

Some may argue that listening to audiobooks is passive and requires less effort than reading traditional text. While it is true that listening to a book does not require the act of working out the words on paper, that does not mean it removes the critical thinking that goes into understanding a story. The effort in reading comes from understanding ideas, not from turning pages. A distracted listener can miss just as much as a distracted reader skimming through pages. Listening carefully to an audiobook can be just as meaningful as silently reading a physical novel.

Although audiobooks do not fit the traditional image of reading, tradition alone is not a reason to dismiss the legitimacy of reading and comprehending a story. Reading has evolved from printed books to digital screens and audio recordings. 

Audiobooks are the next steps of evolution in reading. If reading is about understanding ideas, connecting with stories and becoming immersed in a different world, then audiobooks undeniably count as reading.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Demi Zhang at [email protected].