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Are Audiobooks Real Reading? The Debate Intensifies

3/8/2026

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Story summary
  • The rise of audiobooks sparks debate over whether they count as reading.
  • Since 2016, daily audiobook listeners in the United States rose from 3% to 8%.
  • Fifty-one percent of adults have listened to an audiobook, with more than 40% perceiving it as less rigorous.
  • Experts note that both formats activate language comprehension, and the discussion should focus on the benefits of each medium, not audiobooks as reading.