I Can’T Hear Without My Subtitles: A Study Of Closed Captions Motivation And Uses

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

School

Communication

Abstract

Closed captioning has existed since the 1940s and was designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. Recently, however, there has been an increase in caption use, particularly among younger adults aged 18 to 25. As captions are typically used by the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, the use of captions by hearing individuals is often overlooked. This study examines this growing phenomenon through a cross-sectional survey of 542 individuals and explores both demographic differences and motivations for caption use through the lens of uses and gratifications theory. Results indicated that women use captions more than men and that younger adults use captions more frequently than older adults. Among the six motivations studied (sound quality, attention, academic, foreign language, outside influence, and hard of hearing), sound quality and attention ranked highest, while hard of hearing was the least common motivation reported. These findings suggest that caption use has expanded beyond accessibility needs, highlighting how demographic factors shape motivations for modern caption use and contributing to communication scholarship on evolving media consumption practices and audience agency.

Publication Title

Atlantic Journal of Communication

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