The popularity of audiobooks and podcasts: I hear you! I see!

In Antiquity, people would read to others because books were spare and many people weren't literate. Those were the first audiobooks! Then in the 1930s audiobooks were recorded on vinyls for blind people.

Listening to audiobooks and podcasts lets our hands free to have a different activity if your brain can handle listening and giving orders to the hands at the same time. See below. They have become very popular.

But it's not just that. Our society resorts heavily on sight for the communication of information. We read instructions, handbooks, departure screens, street lights, maps, street names, directions. Official buildings, airports, roads, cities are full of signage. Train announcements are an exception and typically difficult to understand.

We use hearing to communicate between us, IRL. I love you, I hate you, I need you, I admire you, are all feelings that are often spoken. The pleasure of hearing music is different from that of taking in visual arts.

- I hear you!

- I see!

Hearing can also be associated with fear, a primal emotional: what are these steps running behind me? Why are these people screaming outside? Is this plane flying too low? What is this rumble, an earthquake?

Hence sight addresses more the rational side of our brains, and hearing links to the emotional.

When we listen to audiobooks, our emotions are more stimulated, because of the nature of our daily communications: seeing for info, hearing for emotions and impressions.

When we read, we can go back to a paragraph if we got distracted and missed its meaning.

When we listen, we usually don't bother to rewind. If a passage is of no interest to our psyche, our brain just blanks it out. It makes a selection according to our personality when we typically read every single word in a book.

Our society is extremely rational. We believe in science. In efficiency. In productivity. In organization. But a whole part of our psyche is dissatisfied by all this rationality. We're also emotional creatures.

Conclusion is that listening to podcasts and audiobooks is a more emotional experience than reading a book, fulfilling our craving for less rational experiences.

What about watching fiction on screens? This is also an emotional experience because we tend to identify with the protagonist. Hence we undergo the same feelings, and we compare the decisions we would take with the protagonist's: no, I wouldn't try to sneak on the villain from behind, no, I wouldn't tell my boss to get lost, no, I wouldn't wait to ask her out.

When do people listen to stories: Commuting and Driving: People frequently listen to podcasts and audiobooks during morning or evening commutes, road trips, or while riding public transit. News or short-form podcasts are popular during morning drives, while longer-form content or audiobooks suit extended road trips.

Household Chores: Cleaning, doing the laundry, washing dishes, and making food or coffee are prime times for audio. Listeners report that audio content makes routine chores feel faster and more engaging.

Exercise and Outdoor Movement: Going for a run, walking the dog, hiking, working out, or weightlifting are popular windows for solo listening.

Bedtime and Relaxation: Many people listen in bed to wind down or fall asleep. Apps often feature a sleep timer (such as 30 to 40 minutes) so the track stops playing after the listener drifts off. Long-form fiction or soothing podcasts are common here, though listeners sometimes risk falling asleep before finishing a chapter.

Crafts and Hobbies: Gardening, weeding, knitting, or working on DIY projects provide a steady backdrop for hands-free listening