I say unpopular because those that do think audiobook are "books" tend to be very, very vocal about how wrong I am when I express that opinion... As if I'm somehow undermining their enjoyment or the legitimacy of their consumption.
The 52% on my side are just sat quietly reading books and minding their own business.
I think you make some interesting points... Content is important.
Although I think there's such a desperation to get people into the reading habit that anything is considered good enough.
Remember the Harry Potter book when they first came out. I seem to remember a lot of chat about how those books were low effort, but that they encouraged a lot of life-long readers.
I know that here, in the UK, our education system tends to make people resent reading. Furthermore it instills some awful habits... Like feeling you have to finish a book even if you aren't enjoying it (which usually means you stop reading altogether).
Anyway. That's a long way of saying I think you are right.
