Young people watch movies and shows with subtitles. There are several reasons for this. On one hand, the sound of modern productions is often poorly mixed, on the other hand, people’s attention spans have changed.
Surveys and studies have repeatedly shown in the past that the majority of young people watch movies and shows with subtitles. According to Stagetext/Sapio Research, as many as 80% of 18 to 25-year-olds watch with active subtitles (via BBC.co.uk). And not just with foreign languages, but even in their own native language.
This often surprises older people, wondering why young people place so much value on subtitles, even though they can speak the language, as reported by TheGuardian. There are several good reasons for this.
The sound mixing in modern media is often inconsistent
Why do they do that? One reason that is often mentioned, for example, on Reddit, is the poor sound mixing in modern movies and shows: dialogue is too quiet and explosions and sounds are so loud that one can no longer understand important dialogue:
This is because the sound mixing in modern media is terrible. You have to turn the volume up because everyone is just mumbling – and then it suddenly jumps to a massive explosion or gunfire.
Perhaps you know the problem: you watch a movie or a show and constantly have your hand on the remote to turn the sound up or down, so you can either understand the people, or so the explosions don’t blow you or the neighbors away. Young people from Gen Z and also Millennials solve this problem very pragmatically.
A second point that should not be underestimated: young people do not necessarily focus only on the movie; they might be looking at their phones, cooking, or taking care of pets or household chores. This is something that directors and actors repeatedly criticize, because young people simply don’t have the concentration and patience to engage with a movie.
Speaking of movies and shows: At the US box office, two Hollywood blockbusters are currently struggling with audiences, while two low-budget horror films are making a lot of money thanks to Gen Z. You can read more about it on MeinMMO: Because Boomers don’t go to the cinema, the favorite films of Gen Z are winning
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