The Subtitles Generation

Merry-Go-Round
Mark Gertler (1891-1939)
Photo Credit: Tate [CC BY-NC-ND]

... Why is this practice so common among people my age? If you aren't hearing-impaired and are fluent in the language, what is it about subtitles that makes them appealing? An easy assumption is that this is the result of a short attention span, passivity and a lazy nature, a failure of generation zombie. But having experienced watching TV with and without  subtitles, I'd say the former doesn't beget lazy viewing so much as a quicker information download. The new status quo of "subtitles on" among the young reflects both a values shift and cultural conditioning as a result of of big tech's encroaching impact on our entertainment experience.

For instance, the small screen in our living room has to share the limelight with the micro screen in our lap. The U survey [research by streamer U] revealed that 80% of generation Z and millennials "double-screen" when they watch. With subtitles on, I find myself being able to quickly gather what one character has said, look down at my phone, react to a message, then look up before that character has even finished their line. The viewing experience thus becomes multifaceted and efficient. The subtitles allow us to go on our phone but still absorb the content and gist of the TV show...

And social media has encouraged the use of subtitles across the board. It is now a given that most creators add text captions to their videos - without the option to turn them off. This cultural shift may explain the generational gap between boomers and younger viewers, the latter only appeased  by rapid fire content and videos with faster cuts, absorbing lighter content at a higher speed, which text captions allow us to do...

I have to ask: are more people now watching shows just to find out what happens, and to prove they've seen it? Since when did we finish work, sit down on the sofa cuddle up and think "thank God, I can't wait for a bit of comprehension tonight"? TV is supposed to be fun. Shouldn't we be focused on enjoying it?

(Isabel Brooks, The Guardian, 2025)

Why is a "quicker information download" necessary? Do you think you are being forced or "conditioned" by big tech? Why not just look at the TV and switch your phone off or vice versa? Aren't you going to miss the visual and  audio nuances shown on the TV screen? Why can't you just relax a bit more? Slow down? What's the rush? 

"The viewing experience thus becomes multifaceted and efficient." Doesn't this seem like some robotic response? 

Your last sentence sums it all up!