Audiobooks have become one of the hottest trends in the world of reading over the past few years. Whilst some naysayers may try to convince you that it ‘isn’t the same’ as feeling the pages beneath your fingertips, audiobooks have many benefits that help individuals find more time for reading and enjoying the process, which is always a good thing. Audiobooks allow us to take our favourite stories on the go, listening along as we get through the hectic grind of work, chores and activities that take up our time. But what other advantages do audiobooks have? Join us today at What We Reading as we lift the lid on the best physical and mental audiobook benefits!
Improving Physical And Mental Health
Audiobooks help individuals with a wide array of physical and mental health benefits. Many mental health issues in particular are remedied by reading a book and being immersed in a good story. Audiobooks can provide the same benefits, plus a few extra. Listening to a story may be easier to manage and, by only hearing it, you don’t have the risk of straining your eyes or getting a headache from having to concentrate for an extended period.
Audiobooks Relax Our Eyes
We spend over seven hours a day looking at screens, which can negatively contribute to eye strain, blurred vision and even long-term problems such as nearsightedness. Studies have also shown a correlation between the neverending scrolling through social media platforms and feelings of loneliness and depression. Audiobooks help us put our phones down and give our eyes a rest.
Sending Us To Sleep
On phones’ negative impact on our eyes, blue light from screens disrupts our circadian rhythm, making falling asleep harder. Even reading a book can be unhelpful in straining our eyes before going to sleep. One of the best audiobook benefits is not only how they give us a chance to give our eyes a break, but the sound of voices narrating in our ears can help us fall asleep at night.
Check Out Everything You Need To Know About Reading Before Bed
The Same Benefits As Reading
Whilst some might try and tell you that listening to audiobooks is ‘cheating’, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Discover revealed that ‘in a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the Gallant Lab at UC Berkeley scanned the brains of nine individuals while they read and listened. The brain scans and data analysis revealed that the stories stimulated the same emotional and cognitive areas.’
Time Management
As we mentioned in our introduction, one of the biggest benefits of listening to audiobooks is how much more time it puts back into your day. Unlike a traditional book that requires you to hold it and physically turn the pages, you’re free to do anything from taking a road trip to hoovering the house whilst listening to an audiobook.
Builds Listening Skills
Another one of the major benefits of listening to an audiobook is their ability to build listening skills in young readers. For children especially, audiobooks are effective tools for building literacy skills, learning new words, phonemic awareness and comprehension and increasing their language retention rates. Audiobooks have become one of the most popular strategies for teaching a second language.
Building Fluency
Another reason language learners use audiobooks is to build their fluency. Becoming fluent in another language requires you to listen to how other people speak it, helping you identify things that a textbook or translation guide isn’t able to convey. Audiobooks provide an entertaining and natural way to learn a second language.
Reduce Negative Thinking
Audiobooks can disrupt negative thinking patterns and improve our moods. Studies have shown that those who are prone to bouts of anxiety, worry or depression benefit from having someone read aloud to them, replacing their negative thoughts with something else.
Developing Literacy Skills
Audiobooks provide a different perspective on how a story is told, with everything from what parts of your brain are being activated to how it is being narrated potentially changing how you interpret even a book you’ve previously read. You may identify new plot points or themes on the back of these, uncovering things you missed previously. The stories help hone your literacy and comprehension skills, perfect for your next book club meeting!
Immerse In Another World
Researchers have pointed out that audiobooks are some of the most intimate forms of media we can consume. We work alongside a narrator to conjure up an image of the settings and characters. This allows us to lean on our imaginations and create a new world away from the hustle and bustle of the real world.
Improving Focus
We are flooded with distractions in today’s world. People are constantly on the hunt for things that help them improve their focus, which is another one of the best benefits of listening to audiobooks. Listening to stories through audiobooks is helpful for training focus and holding attention in everything from the classroom to the workplace for long periods. This can be an especially useful strategy for individuals who have learning difficulties.
Wrap Up
Ultimately, the biggest benefit of listening to audiobooks is the enjoyment they bring to readers, whether it be a compelling memoir, gripping thriller or cutesy love story. Audiobooks are accessible for readers at every comprehension level, feature in every genre and can be a cheaper way of expanding your horizons than picking up a paperback from a bookstore.
From improving our mental health to finding more time in the day for other activities, there are plenty of audiobook benefits to take advantage of, so why not check our collection of book lists to discover your next great read?
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
