The Benefits of Listening to Audio Dramas

Audio dramas, also known as (radio dramas), are audio recordings that utilize dialogue, special effects, and music, to tell a story.Think of it as watching TV with your eyes closed. One more thing, audio dramas are not to be confused with audio books.

Radio dramas were popular in the 1930s to the 1960s. Families would huddle around the radio to listen to the story of the week. They were comprised of Westerns, Soap Operas, Science Fiction, and Crime dramas. However, I am not going to cover the entire history of audio/radio dramas. Instead, I will show you the benefits of listening to them, and recommending audios that you should check out yourself.

Sadly, audio dramas are not as well used and widespread in this era ,as they were, decades ago. One of the main reasons is because, with the internet and endless video content, we have become a visual generation. We have more media distractions today more than any other time period. Which means, most people now, would rather spend time streaming video content, using social media for hours, and pass the time playing mobile games, rather than listen to an audio drama.

Most would scoff at the idea of audio dramas, because they're low quality, there are no visuals, they're boring, and they're "outdated." Granted, there are a lot of low quality, poor audio dramas that are not worth listening to. However, when you find the right ones, audio dramas can be an amazing experience. Audio dramas can be listened to on most devices, including smartphones and CD players.

Now, let's get to the benefits.

Remember when I said, that listening to audio dramas is like watching TV with your eyes closed. Well, when you hear audio dramas, you create what you hear. Let me elaborate. It doesn't take much exertion to watch TV. All you do is sit. However, with audio dramas, it takes a bit of effort to enjoy the experience. Because in audio dramas, you're the director. You can use your imagination to create the imagery of the story. This is something you can't do when watching TV.

Audio dramas challenge you to get into the story, by getting into the characters shoes. You see what they see, and hear what they hear. They are really good for stretching and growing your imagination. Another reason is, accessibility. You are not always going to be able to watch content at all times. For example, when you are exercising , driving, cooking, and doing chores at home, are some reasons. So here comes the good part. Sense you can't always watch TV, you can instead become immersed in a story of your liking ,while being engaged in your activities.

Like with television, there are many genres in audio dramas suited to your tastes. They include sci-fi, western, action/adventure, horror, and ordinary dramas. The top producers of audio dramas today are Big Finish Productions in the UK, and Focus on the Family in America. If you like sci-fi and suspense, Big Finish has you covered with the cult hit 'Doctor Who' , Blake's 7, and many others.

Focus on the Family produces mostly dramatized audio sessions based off iconic novels. Their stories include The Chronicles of Narnia, A Christmas Carol, Anne of Green Gables, Adventures in Odessy, and The Screwtape Letters. Both of these groups produce high quality audio dramatizations, that will get you hooked from beginning to end. A lot of work goes into these dramas. This includes the scripts, the sound effects, and the overall production of the voice actors.

I will close with one last benefit, and that is, learning lessons. By listening to audio dramas with solid characters and settings, you learn about empathy, courage, friendships, and contentment.

So, what are you waiting for? Start listening!