Do Audiobooks count as reading?

Question

Not sure how controversial this is but do you count Audiobooks as reading? Why/Why not? I’m torn. I think it’s great people consume books in whatever way they can. Not everyone has time to sit and read. Others are auditory learners ect…but I don’t think it’s the same as reading.  I follow many instagram accounts where they state they have read 200 plus books this year and it’s always because they listen to the audiobook version sped up. They do this so they can pump out reels and reviews quickly to gain followers. The online book community seems to agree that Audiobooks do count as reading since they are giving the audience the same information. I’m curious what everyone else thinks!

Answer

It doesn't count as reading, because no reading is being done. You're listening. That said it's still the same content so you can say you listened to the audiobook, but you can't say you read it. All of that said, I don't care if you read it or listen to it. Consume books in the way you like best. Same goes for physical copies vs e-reader copies. I don't care. Do what works for you.

Answer

You're listening, not reading.

Answer

Yes it is. Studies have shown this.

Answer

Absolutely not. Reading is a verb. To read. Listen is a verb too. To listen. Its not the same lol

Answer

Yes, audiobooks count as reading a book. Honestly saying it doesn’t comes off as sorta ableist tbh

Answer

The goal of reading is to comprehend a text. So yes.

Answer

So I personally LOVE books but have a really really hard time sitting down to actually read. My mind wanders like crazy and before I know it I’ve re read the same page 3 times and absorbed none of the content. I also sometimes spend upwards of 6 hours in my car driving for work in a day. So I love audiobooks. But when I talk to people about books I’ve “read” I’ll always end up saying something along for lines of “Oh yeah, I just finished reading xyz… well I guess not technically reading. I finished listening to xyz.” So I think for some people it’s easier to just say you’ve read a book because it’s easier than explaining it was an audiobook. So to conclude my long-winded comment, I don’t think it’s technically reading by definition. But I do think people sometimes just say reading because it’s easier.

Answer

Hmm i said no but then i thought what is reading? Because if someone uses braille they are also reading…and the vocabulary and grammar is still being taught. I will say unless you’re following along and you wanted to improve spelling it’s not reading.

Answer

I can recall both read and listened to books. I commute so usually listening to audiobooks and podcasts in the car.
Some audibooks can be more enjoyable with the right person reading them out

Answer

It’s the same to me. If someone tells me they read a book or they listened to the audiobook version, it doesn’t matter. You read the book in my opinion.. 
We can talk about everything that happened in the book either way! 
Seems very weird to me when people lose it over someone saying that it’s the same. It feels like some weird type of gatekeeping, or some kind of superiority complex or something. I don’t know. It’s super weird. 
I honestly don’t care how someone reads a book. Especially if they read one I recommended and love it! 😆

Do Audiobooks count as reading?

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