The Cognitive Style of Subtitles
They boost literacy, kickstart foreign film, and improve comprehension
So: Subtitles are hot now!
You likely knew this already; you may well use them yourself. But this is a big shift from TV- and movie-viewing when I was young. Back in the 80s, watching video with subtitles was considered extremely weird. People found it awkward, a type of cultural multitasking: They disliked dividing their attention between the action on-screen and the box of text at the bottom.
Things have changed decisively. These days, as a YouGov survey found, 38% of Americans watch TV with subtitles on — even when they’re viewing a program in their own language. It’s the trend of the future, too: Fully 63% of young people (aged 18 to 29) use subtitles, whereas only 29% of folks 45 to 64 do. In the years to come, I bet we’ll see clear majorities in all age groups watching video with subtitles.
There are some negative reasons propelling this trend, to be sure. While making a film or TV series, directors these days generally do fewer re-takes; if they get the visual shot they need, they might tolerate slightly muffled dialogue. Plus, as Devin Gordon explained in this Atlantic piece, directors are also more heavily relying on musical cues, which further obscures speech. The upshot is that when…
