Nowadays due to busy life people have no or less time to take advantage of all the benefits of reading. Also, with the availability of various forms of entertainment, we get distracted and have less time to unwind our souls by reading a book. In between all this, your love for reading books gets compromised, and you often try to find all possible solutions to maintain your reading habit.
This is where audiobook comes in handy. It is one of the easiest and most creative ways to keep yourself connected to books. We know you are wondering if reading or listening to a book is better. Here is the answer to all your questions:
Are Audiobooks Same as Reading?
The debate on whether audiobooks count as reading is a contentious one. Well, reading a book or listening to a book is the same thing for most people. Both give similar experiences in terms of the information you acquire. But the difference lies in how your brain decodes the information. Spoken language gets processed differently as compared to written language. Listening activates the hearing center of the brain, while reading involves the visual cortex.
Despite the fact that message decoding is carried out differently in different parts of the brain, the final result is relatively the same. Of course, it also depends upon the reading material you are trying to comprehend. For instance, reading a novel or book for pleasure gets processed in the same way whether you actually read or listen to it. However, things may vary somewhat for books from which you are trying to gain knowledge or learn something.
Do You Learn Better by Reading or Listening?
As mentioned earlier, when it comes to gaining knowledge, reading a book or listening to an audiobook may not give similar results. Reading something to retain the information needs a different approach than reading for pleasure.
According to a study, it was found that students performed better in quizzes compared to only listening to audiobooks or podcasts to retain the information. Additionally, retaining information through reading is generally easier and quicker than listening. Nevertheless, listening can also serve as a valuable learning method.
An optimal approach would be reading a book and then listening to the same audiobook. This way, the brain receives the information twice, increasing the amount of data that is retained.
In What Cases Listening to a Book Is Better Than Reading It?
Here’s when listening to an audiobook can be better than reading.
Too busy on schedule
When your daily schedule doesn’t allow you for reading sessions to satisfy your need for literature, listening to audiobooks is a better option.
To receive information effortlessly
When you feel tired after a busy day with the office, kids, and home, listening to an audiobook is the best way to relax instead of picking a book.
When the audiobook is a masterpiece
Not all audiobooks are the same. While some are just audio “transcripts” of a book, others are amazing works of art. Also, the voice of the reader in audiobooks, along with the way of The voice of the reader, can take listening to the next level and inspire you to listen to complete audio.
When summaries are available in audiobook
Audiobooks come in different forms and sizes, so you can only listen to the summary. This can save you time while giving you a great experience of the book via audio summaries.
Tips to Improve Reading and Listening Experiences
Taking complete advantage of reading and listening requires a good mindset. If you want your brain to benefit from both, then E Ink display and audiobooks are great options. Also, you can download an e-reader app and audiobook reading and listen anytime, anywhere on your device.
Final Thoughts
Listening to audiobooks is a great alternative to reading when retaining knowledge is not a concern. Also, you can use E Ink devices for reading when traveling or not in the mood to open a physical book. Both e-reading and listening are great for feeling relaxed while following your hobby of reading.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.
