Subtitles serve an important purpose for people with hearing or cognitive impairments, or for translation from a foreign language. They're not for fluent English speakers watching something in fluent English.

“More than 100 studies document that captioning a video improves comprehension of, memory for, and attention to videos, for children, adolescents, college students, and adults.” In addition to research studies, many movie-goers have anecdotally praised captions, even if they're not d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

Movies are fun. They take us away from our everyday lives and remind us that there is a world out there that is much bigger and more fascinating than we think. Movies can inspire us to heroism or make the mundane magical. And that is why we love them.

Subtitles are translations for people who don't speak the language of the medium, for example, subtitles accompany foreign films. Standard subtitles assume the viewer hears the audio. Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing are written for viewers who may not be able to hear the audio.