After Parasite’s recent Oscars sweep, I’ve noticed more people debating the idea of subtitles. Some prefer subtitles, some are indifferent, and a portion find them to be a bother. As someone with a love of entertainment and countless free time, I decided to weigh in on this debate.
Subtitles have never been an issue for me. In fact, I always felt lucky to have access to content with subtitles. I only understand English, and without subtitles, I would only have access to media created for an audience that solely understands my language of expertise. The first time I found out that subtitles existed, I was ecstatic; it felt like I had discovered a beautiful secret. Being able to watch programs encompassed in a completely different culture intrigued me. With my very limited knowledge of elementary school Spanish, I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to translate a whole movie line by line.
Coming from a love of reading, I also found that watching something with subtitles kept me more interested in what I was watching. I noticed that when I was watching something in English I found myself checking my phone, leaving the room, and thinking about other things all while the program was still running. However, subtitles forced me to give what I was watching all of my attention because if I wasn’t reading the dialogue I was left with only visual cues to understand what was occurring. Throughout my day I found myself multitasking most of my activities whether it was doing homework while listening to music or listening to a podcast and cooking dinner. However, when I watched something with subtitles it was one of the rare occasions where all of my attention was directed at one thing. Whether I enjoyed what I was watching or not I experienced details of each program more than I usually did with my English programs. I also found myself forgetting that I was watching a program with subtitles at all. This could be because of my reading comprehension skills or my years of experience with subtitles, but I frequently forgot that I couldn’t understand what the actors were saying. I found myself on several occasions looking away from the screen while watching something and forgetting that I couldn’t understand what was being said.
I believe that subtitles and translation services like it, are a bridge to understanding other cultures than our own. If you only consume content made for you, not only are you missing out on lots of beautiful experiences, but you’re not growing your understanding of the world around you. Although watching a telenovela will not give you a complete understanding of Spanish culture, after watching the program you will leave knowing more about Spanish culture than you came in with. Whether it’s a documentary or a kids’ television program, I guarantee you will learn something about a different culture watching a program with subtitles then you would have to watch another feature in your native language.
If you’re able, I encourage you to watch something with subtitles. It can seem scary to venture into unknown territory and it takes a while to get used to reading and watching instead of just watching, but it’s worth it. Some of my favorite shows and movies aren’t in English and I feel grateful every day for the people who put in the effort to translate dialogue for viewers like me. It’s a small step but I truly believe the more inclusive our entertainment gets the more we can better understand each other. When we watch television or go to a movie usually it is for some form of entertainment or stress relief. Getting to experience what somebody who may not live in your country, or speak your language, does in their free time gives you a glimpse into their life. If you want to better understand someone, you first need to understand what they enjoy, and one way of doing that is with subtitles.
You may still dig your heels in, curse out subtitles and swear to a life of audible media consumption only, which is totally fine! However, fuel your intruigue!