The ways in which we consume stories, create narratives, and even build our own internalised personal identities have changed over time. These processes can be characterised as continuously evolving, shaped by the technologies and cultural contexts of their era. In recent years, the rise of audio-based digital formats, and personalised audio storytelling, has introduced new possibilities for how stories are told and absorbed, ushering in a shift with interesting implications for personal identity and social connection.
Our most formative and foundational narratives draw their roots from oral history and spoken stories. Long before the written word, communities relied on oral traditions to transmit knowledge, preserve cultural memory, and define group identities. Folk wisdom, mythic legends, and historic tales were more than just entertainment; they formed the cornerstone of both group identities and individual responsibilities. These stories offered frameworks for understanding the world, delineating moral boundaries, and anchoring people in collective meaning.
With the advent of writing systems, humanity developed ways to capture and preserve these oral traditions. Written texts could be passed down across generations and geographies. The arrival of the printing press in the fifteenth century amplified this capability, making it possible to share stories at scale across vast distances. Writing became a powerful cultural force, bridging communities, shaping social norms, and allowing diverse populations to build a common understanding.
For centuries, the printed word dominated how stories were consumed. Storytelling itself evolved: we retained the idea of storytellers, but they would often read the works of others from printed texts. At other times, reading became a solitary pursuit. The physical book stayed present as a companion, something that was personal, tactile, and immersive. Stories became internalised through quiet, individual engagement.
Yet even as print held cultural dominance, the 20th (and 21st) century witnessed a major resurgence in audio storytelling. With the boom in recorded music, the role of audio-based narratives found its place within that newly created market. People now listen to everything from political commentary to bedtime stories, from true crime podcasts to wellness affirmations across audiobooks, podcasts, talk radio and an emerging set of services driven by generative voice AI: personalised audio storytelling. This growth of narrative audio is further boosted by the current spread of smartphone, smart speakers, and personal assistants such as Siri or Alexa.
We increasingly have regular daily rituals that reflect our own preferences for consuming content through audio. This can look like morning walks accompanied by mindfulness meditations, commutes filled with serialised fiction podcasts, or late-night wind-downs featuring audiobook chapters read by soothing narrators; all of these rituals are shaping the rhythm of our days and the stories that we use to develop an understanding of ourselves.
There is also a sense in which the ways of consuming key narratives are having a developmental effect on the ways that we listen. Audio storytelling invites a different mode of engagement compared to reading, and we can start to value material in particular voices or audio formats differently, especially where there is a greater intelligibility when we hear familiar voices.
In personalised audiobooks, where stories are created using the listener’s own voice, we see the boundaries between narrator and listener begin to blur. The voice becomes not only a conduit for a story, but part of how identity is experienced and performed. This can shape everything from how we consume information, knowledge and wisdom, to how we shape our own personal narratives: the guiding voices in our heads that keep us on a good moral or spiritual track.
Voices have texture, authority, and emotion in ways that text alone may not. The intimacy of sound, especially when delivered via headphones or in private spaces, can make audio experiences feel deeply personal. This is especially true if we recognise the voices we are listening to.
Here, the idea of narrative identity becomes especially relevant. Narrative identity is the concept that we form our sense of self through the stories we tell about our lives. These are not just retrospective accounts, but active, evolving constructions. Listening to stories, particularly those that resonate with our own experiences or aspirations, can help us reframe our past, understand our present, and imagine our future. The rise of personalised audio storytelling deepens this process, allowing people to hear stories told in their own voice, or in the voice of someone they know and love, making the content feel more meaningful and emotionally resonant.
This goes well beyond a mere digital fad or online trend. This starts to hint at a new frontier for learning, connecting our communities and the people within them, and building greater cohesion at a time when some of our founding narratives are being challenged. Storytelling has long been central to education and social cohesion, and audio provides new ways to reach learners, especially those who may struggle with traditional formats. In communities where access to print is limited or literacy is a barrier, audio content opens doors to participation, imagination, and empowerment.
As technologies advance, we are seeing the emergence of platforms that allow users to create and hear stories in their own voice or in the voice of someone familiar. This personalised storytelling can be playful, therapeutic, or deeply reflective. It can help people, especially children, the elderly, or those with different communication styles, feel seen, heard, and included; and, this is an exciting new area in which narrative, technology, connection, and communities can come together to deliver positive social change.