Audiobooks surge as travel favorite, helping fuel debate over what 'counts' as reading
Fox News
Americans’ daily audiobook listening jumps to 8% as travel and busy lifestyles fuel the format’s rise, though traditionalists question whether listening equals reading books.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.
But traditionalists insist that reading requires eyes on a page. More than 40% of Americans believe listening to an audiobook is less rigorous and doesn’t truly count as reading, a 2025 NPR-Ipsos poll found.
Others, however, argue the suggestion that audiobooks "don’t count" feels dismissive.
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