Are Audio Books Harmful?

[DamianLake]

Some times audio books can prove to be harmful, as listening them in full volume can cause damage to the ear drum especially of young children.

Actually, I recall a study showing that most hearing damage is caused by decibel levels, not volume levels. Did you know that an infant's cry has a higher decibel level than a jet airplane engine? Certainly volume can be harmful to the ears, but in almost all cases it is the result of prolonged exposure to elevated volume levels, (such as at construction sites), over years that cause the damage.

While I do not encourage the average person to listen to headphones at maximum volume all the time, even then it is at a low enough level that hearing isn't really effected. I have to listen to my books at max volume when I am mowing the lawn if I want to hear anything over my gasoline push mower, but after 20 or so years, I can still hear someone whispering about me two rooms away, even while I am wearing my sony mdr-v150 headphones, (though without the book or music playing, obviously).

[carolynccourtney]

There are a number of problems with it that, while not harmful to the community in general, rather than some of the fundamental teachings of HNIR.

[DamianLake]

There are a number of problems with it that, while not harmful to the community in general, rather than some of the fundamental teachings of HNIR.

Ummmmm........I'm sorry, what? I have read your comment several times and am having trouble deciphering your intended meaning. What, specifically, has a number of problems? Also, what is the HNIR and what are its fundamental teachings? So far all I have found for that acronym are the Hockey Night In Richmond group, and the Hyoho Niten Ichi-Ryu martial arts group. I rather doubt either of those organizations promote a stand on audio books.

On an unrelated note, I notice that one of the members who posted in this thread seems to have vanished along with all her posts. What causes that? I'd hate to think the Men in Black are lurking behind the smilies.

[Aqueda_Veronica]

Maybe it's not exactly the same thing, but I grew up listening to radio shows and dramas, loving them and I turned out just fine
I would still read of course, but radio was something different, gave me a different kind of satisfaction. I actually feel sorry for the next generation that they'll be missing the thrill of staying late at night just to catch the next episode of their favorite series on the radio, with the lights turned off and volume way down not to wake anyone else in the house... Good times!

[tjamesmoss.author]

Audio books are divine, especially for struggling readers. If you have a child and the two of you sit down with the same book and an audiobook, and reading experience is transformed. Then, there are THREE readers taking up residence in that child's mind. That's a way to encourage reading.

[BookCritic101]

Audio books should be a fair supplement to (not a replacement of) print books. Kind of like digital vs. analog clocks: if we went strictly digital, we'd forget how to tell time.

[tjamesmoss.author]

Maybe it's not exactly the same thing, but I grew up listening to radio shows and dramas, loving them and I turned out just fine
I would still read of course, but radio was something different, gave me a different kind of satisfaction. I actually feel sorry for the next generation that they'll be missing the thrill of staying late at night just to catch the next episode of their favorite series on the radio, with the lights turned off and volume way down not to wake anyone else in the house... Good times!

I agree. My son and I still listen to and love Prairie Home Companion and Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, and Adventures in Odyssey is such an easy way to keep my attention and the attention of most children.

[jamsebrown]

No The Audio book not a harmful but it is the good for those whos hobby to listen the music the book which are in audio that are in good lyrics then can remember what he can listen this type the music is very helpful to all of us .

[philipkeller]

I think they're fine. Stories have been told orally from the beginning of time. Being able to read written text is very important in our day and age but I don't believe audio books are harmful.

[Sue Salisbury]

I love both. I read books when I have time and listen to audiobooks when I don't. It seems different skills are used when doing one or the other, but I believe audiobooks can improve listening and comprehension skills - and that seems a real plus. Also, most professional narrators are so good they add depth to the text. The emphasis their voices give also lets you know what they read into the words. So you learn to listen, you hear another person's perspective on the characters,and you get to do other work while you listen. That seems a win-win-win about audiobooks.