Why I Choose To Read Instead of Listen To My Favorite Writers

It's all personal

Isn't it interesting that books continue to print, and libraries remain monuments in communities?

With information at a click these days, I can't help thinking it's only a matter of time before these century-old traditions become extinct.

The bookshelves in my home office are adorned with over a hundred books. Among them is the once sort after Encyclopedia Britannica, which was once a must-have and fortune in homes. But these days, they are more of a decor statement than valued for the words written inside them.

Library membership was once a big thing, and the necessary textbooks we used in schools didn't just cost our parents a lot, but they were heavy to carry around in our school bags.

Undoubtedly, there is a significant shift and more accessible ways we get and process our information.

How we utilize learning literature and even storytime entertainment has changed.

Thanks to the digital age.

Medium has recently introduced "listen" on its platform. One would think a writing app would have stuck to traditional form. But, undoubtedly, writing and reading go hand in hand; you can't think of one without another.

But like everything, we must get with the program and embrace changes to maintain our relevance in the evolving society we live.

Reading words, whether in a traditional form such as a printed book or the more modern electronic documents on my kindle, computer, or iPhone, is sentimental for me. It is especially so when I read on Medium.

My writing community has become like my extended family. I've not only pictured what you look like when reading you, but I have a voice for each one of you in my head. Listening to what you write in a different voice, like the version on Medium, throws me off and makes me feel disconnected from you.

Wouldn't it be great if technology could capture our personal unique voices in each of our stories?

While listening to audio could be considered more effortless and convenient for some, For now, I will continue to read your words.

Have you tried the "listen" option on stories?

Tell me about your experience in the comment.