“If a person who constantly reads is labeled a bookworm, then I was quickly becoming what might be called a tapeworm.” ― David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day

There is some debate in the literary community as to whether or not listening to audiobooks still counts as reading. If you listen to the audiobook, you’ve still received the content of the book. You’ve still heard the story and experienced the narrative.

However, others would argue that listening to a book read to you isn’t the same as reading. Reading is an active experience, and listening is passive. Because you weren’t actively consuming the words and flipping pages, it doesn’t really count.

I tend to land in the former camp. Mostly because I want to pad my reading numbers and because I don’t listen to a ton of audiobooks. But also because I think the most important thing is the experience of the story. You could just as easily turn every page in the physical book without grasping anything of the book’s context.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGiVmUT72c

According to University of Virginia psychologist Daniel Willingham, there really isn’t much cognitive difference between reading and listening to a book. He admits there are some differences, but book listeners get largely the same benefit from reading as everyone else.

Another study by the University of Chicago showed that “reading and listening involve identical comprehension skills.” However, other studies reveal that people listening to audiobooks have a higher tendency to get distracted or have their minds wander.

However, I will admit that there is some differences in the two experiences. You’ve got to focus completely when reading a physical book. It’s much easier to get distracted with an audiobook. Especially because you’re probably already doing something else—driving in the car, working out at the gym, or cutting the grass. It’s easier to miss certain things.

It’s also funny that in physical books, I know how characters’ names are spelled, but sometimes don’t know how to pronounce them. In audiobooks, I have the opposite issue—I have an idea of the pronunciation but no clue on the spelling.

In audiobooks, you get the added layer of the voice actor. A good or bad voice artist can shape your experience of the book itself. Sometimes, when I’m reading a physical book, I imagine an actor reading it to me in my head, including different voices for the characters. But that, too, can be a distraction.

Honestly, the audiobook debate comes down to the individual reader. If you can listen to a book on tape and get the same enjoyment as a physical book, then good for you. On the other hand, if you find yourself drifting while listening, then press pause and pick another way to read.