The rise of video in social media should be no surprise to anyone. We’ve all seen the bombardment of videos all over our computers and mobile devices, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. So, while we’re all aware of video’s surge, here are some hard numbers: • of users watched more videos on social networks like Facebook and Snapchat than they did a year ago • Video will account for of all mobile traffic by 2021 • Adding video to your social feeds means audiences are 10x more likely to However, there’s a huge difference between doing video, and doing video well, and one of them is knowing when to use captions vs. People who are deaf or hard of hearing rely on captions (or subtitles) to understand your video’s content. But there are a lot of other great reasons for using them, as well.

Turn down for what? Have you ever been at work sneaking in a few quick Facebook status updates, or on the train or bus- trying to desperately hold onto what little privacy you have- when your phone starts blaring noise from some ad or FunnyOrDie clip? You’re not alone. One of the most annoying things you can find in your Facebook feed is a video that autoplays with the sound on. Here’s Facebook’s take on the matter, stating the most obvious: “Our research found that when feed-based mobile video ads play loudly when people aren’t expecting it, 80 percent react negatively, both toward the platform and the advertiser” () Facebook found out that video generated content on social platforms is not the same as commercials on TV.

“it’s not TV ads. It’s TV ads with the sound turned off.” (). Users don’t want something that shouts at them; they want something that piques their interest without intruding on their enjoyment of the platform. The age of captions Whether you know it or not, you’ve probably seen captions and subtitles on videos or in movies either in the form of translation of the dialogue from one language to another, or simply a same-language presentation of dialogue and other audio events.

Turn on closed captions and subtitles on your Mac Most recent macOS versions include a number of apps and features that support closed captions and subtitles, including iTunes, DVD Player, QuickTime Player, and HTML5 video viewed in Safari.

One of the most widely-known uses for captions — — is a way for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to be able to access and understand the audio portions of a video. While the terms “subtitles” and “captions” are often used interchangeably, there are some differences. Technically, subtitles should convey only the dialogue or narration happening in a video. Subtitles used for translating one language to another would likely also include translations of any foreign language text shown on the screen. Video with captions and an audio cue Millennials consume video in a much different way than their parents or grandparents. To burst into their social bubbles, these videos need to adapt to be on their level.