Audio Versus Visual Reading

I’m not the first to notice a difference. Cody Kommers wrote an article about this topic in Psychology Today.

While he hasn’t done a scientific study, he makes a few great points.

1. He listens to books he would never read otherwise, which is also true for me. I love to listen to audiobooks while walking or driving, a time when I’m not going to attempt to read a book!
2. Reading is more active; listening is more passive.
3. Reading is better when you want to deeply understand the nuances of technical material.

Here’s what I’ve noticed. If I’m reading a book before falling asleep, I’ll stop on the page where I start to doze off. If I’m listening to an audiobook, it keeps playing after I’m asleep, and it takes me a long time to find my place the next day.

This reminds me of how I used to fall asleep while listening to music on records that would stop automatically.

I get some books as audiobooks AND paperbacks. That way, I can listen to the material and then go back to take notes while re-reading words on a page.

Writing on a pad of paper differs from writing on a computer, especially when using Grammarly or AI. I’ve noted this before.

What’s interesting is that our minds process information from our senses in different ways. Experiences that engage each of our senses to different degrees are different!