The industry for audiobooks and podcasts is growing rapidly. In 2018, The Guardian reported that audiobook production is the fastest-growing sector in consumer publishing, and audiobooks are at times outselling their print counterparts. Some of today’s authors are even writing with the audiobook in mind from the beginning. When it comes to podcasts, their popularity can be illustrated by the fact that there are over 850,000 active podcasts and over 30 million episodes available in 2020.
Audio and print are often pitted against each other, but there is little evidence to prove that one medium is superior to the other. I will admit that this surprised me, as I was almost certain that some research would quickly show that reading is inherently better than listening. I’m a fan of immersing myself in a book that I can hold and go back to again and again, so I am undeniably biased toward the print side of this debate. Happily, though, it seems that print is not dying simply because the market for audiobooks is growing: people are still steadily buying paper books, even with the additional competition of e-books.
That said, the appeal of podcasts and audiobooks is apparent: audio allows for multitasking, podcasts that come out with regularity are something to look forward to, and hearing a diverse range of voices can be very enjoyable. There is also affordability and accessibility to consider. Print books seem to be increasingly expensive when compared to their audio equivalents, which are generally available for much cheaper (if not free). Audio is also more accessible for people with reading difficulties, and podcasts are conveniently shareable.
However (though this may just be my bias talking) my concern is that podcasts and audiobooks have quickly become part of our “hustle culture” – something to make the commute less boring or cooking dinner more productive, rather than something to be savoured for their own sake. After all, it feels hard to justify spending a few hours relaxing and reading when you could be cleaning the house and taking in the sameinformation. While the convenience and utility of multitasking in this way is obvious, especially as it becomes more difficult to make the time to sit down and read, there is evidence to suggest that our comprehension of texts is lowered when we splitting our focus at all, even on mundane tasks.
This doesn’t mean that audiobooks or podcasts are inferior to physical books, though: our brains may interpret information differently when we are listening and opposed to reading, but – as long as we make a point to focus on it – we absorb the information either way. It seems that what makes the biggest difference in our comprehension is not the media format of what we consume, but whether we take the time to focus on one task and engage with it for a sustained period rather than only passively experiencing it. Listening to podcasts while working on something else can be fun and remain sufficiently productive, but my feeling is that there is something to be said for letting yourself tune in to something completely and without distraction, even if you are simply reading or listening for pleasure.
I think both sides can agree that the choice between the written or spoken word is personal and down to circumstance or preference. Ultimately, any medium that makes the sharing of ideas accessible and exciting is a wonderful thing.
