More than half of UK television viewers now regularly use subtitles, a trend driven not by hearing impairment but by poor audio quality and mumbling actors. Netflix reports that 40% of its global users have subtitles on all the time, with 80% switching them on at least once a month.
Bradley Johnston, a 25-year-old native English speaker, says he watches 'literally everything' with subtitles because he 'just doesn't want to work for it'. He finds them essential for following intricate plots in shows like The White Lotus and horror films such as Barbarian.
Sound mixer Guntis Sics, who worked on Moulin Rouge! and Thor: Ragnarok, blames technological advances for the trend. Portable microphones have encouraged a more naturalistic acting style, with younger performers often speaking softly or mumbling. Meanwhile, sophisticated sound design adds layers of background noise that can drown out dialogue, especially on standard TV speakers.
As TVs have become slimmer, their built-in speakers have worsened, with manufacturers expecting consumers to buy separate sound systems. Even then, improper tuning can leave voices unclear while explosions boom. The result is a growing reliance on subtitles to catch every word.
