Ironically, I really don't want to read that much text right now, but that's mostly because it's 0450 and said newborn has only just fallen back to sleep. I'm going to, but it amused me that the timing of me reading the comment is so poor.

Also before we go on:

I'm not presuming anything. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the "visual medium". You're just not used to reading, clearly, meaning you're probably not a big reader.

Your first sentence and last sentence are direct contradictions. I'm plenty used to reading and you're presuming I'm not based on my dislike of subtitles (as what other data do you have to go on?).

Anyway, my annoyance at that aside, let's have some context:

I read a LOT as a child, a tradition I intend to continue with my child. Ideally I don't want her to spend much time watching stuff at all. I also grew up with a deaf sister and a father with one functional ear. We always had subtitles on.

I still turned out the way I did.

Also, I'm half Swedish, so any time spent in Sweden - guess what, subtitles!

I do not like that my brain works this way. It is extremely annoying. However, try as I might, it makes no difference.

So for preference I only use subtitles when I need to (elsewhere in the thread, for example, I talk about watching Das Boot). It's a compromise for me and if I don't need it I don't want to have my eye constantly drawn to the bottom of the screen rather than wherever the filmmaker is trying to draw my eye (assuming the film maker knows how to do that - see Transformers vs. Fury Road!). In principle some subtitle formats support better placement but how often does that actually see use? It's a total crapshoot.

Subtitles may well improve literacy, but I would expect that fostering the same love of reading that everyone else in my family has is probably better. She already has a library cued up and ready to go, both in English and Swedish, so we're going to do our best.

Essentially I take the view that if I'm using a medium I want the best of it - within reason. So if it's film, I want visuals (I collect UHDs), if it's audio I want decent quality (but SACDs are still dumb 😆), and if it's literature I want engaging narratives (I don't care if it eventually gets good - lots of books are good to begin with and my reading time is limited!).

These days I don't read much because I have so many other things to do, but when I do I kind of get a little... What's the opposite of lagom? I power through books and then reappear looking like that bear that's just emerged from hibernation 😂

One problem I do have with reading though is choice - my mother put amazing effort into picking books for me. However as a result my skill at choosing for myself isn't great. Still, I have recommendations from friends and the internet and more of those than I have time to read. Hopefully my child won't end up with that issue!