Close to three in ten Britons (28%) watch TV or films with the subtitles on – even when the content is in their own language.
The study by the pollsters YouGov found that most 18 to 24-year-olds (61%) will watch TV with subtitles on screen.
In comparison 31% of 25 to 49-year-olds used closed captioning, falling to 13 per cent of those between the ages of 50 and 64.
Older viewers – who may be expected to be more likely to suffer from poor hearing – were found to be far less likely to turn the subtitles on with just 22% choosing to do so.
Around two-thirds of Britons (65%) prefer switching them off.
