In the hectic world we live in, we are often forced to sacrifice time typically spent doing something enjoyable in favour of something more productive. Time spent reading an exciting book series gets turned into driving to and from the grocery store, or taking the dog for a walk. Recently, more and more people are taking up listening to books as means to rediscover their favorite pastime. Audiobooks are the multitasking solution for readers who no longer have the time to read.
However, audiobooks have become a source of debate among book lovers—many see listening to audiobooks as a great alternative for one’s typically draining commute, while others find it too easy to be distracted and hard to follow along. The website bookriot.com offers a list of myths associated with audiobooks and debunks several common arguments against the use of audiobooks. A few of these myths include the belief that you will miss something by not reading the book and that the narrators of audiobooks all have extremely irritating voices. The website responds to these qualms by explaining that listening to audiobooks can often give new life to stories and that the narrators are increasingly becoming the recognizable voices of celebrities. Only recently have I discovered that The Great Gatsby is available in an audiobook read by Jake Gyllenhaal, perhaps making the novel even more enjoyable.
Audiobooks are growing in popularity and thanks to websites such as audible.com, which offers a paid subscription to the site allowing you access to your choice of over 180,000 titles, the trend is certainly not going anywhere in the near future. For those on a budget, YouTube has a large selection of audiobooks available by chapter—your local library might also have audiobooks in a number of different formats for you to obtain.
In academic terms, audiobooks could become a new tool to help retain information for assignments or examinations. People who listen to audiobooks regularly have noticed an improvement in their information retention after reading and subsequently listening to the book as it supplements your learning and reinforces key information. Another advantage to using audiobooks is speed. In a time-crunch around midterms or finals, it is reassuring to be able to accurately assess how much time is left before completing the book. Some audiobooks allow you to adjust the speed at which it plays, so that you can get through a lot of information in a shorter period of time. Occasionally, certain books can be extremely dry, often resulting in procrastination and distraction. By switching to an audiobook, your interest may be reignited, or perhaps make the book slightly more bearable. During the inevitable and stressful times throughout university, audiobooks can also be very relaxing.
Ultimately, audiobooks can be an incredibly useful tool both in academic life as well as for books of personal interest.