Text messages in TV shows

[jo]

The Guardian had an interesting piece the other day about the increased use, in various TV shows, of text messages as a means of communication between characters. More specifically, the article was complaining about the fact that these on-screen text messages are either impossible for viewers to read on screen, or, maybe they are readable, but they're not on screen long enough to allow viewers to read them.

Is this something that you've noticed in shows that you watch? Is it something that annoys you? Do you pause the show so that you can get up close to your TV/computer screen and try to decipher the text message? Do you agree with the article that TV has a major texting problem?

(Note: I'm horrible with tags, never use them, so no clue what tags to add to this, or how to see what tags are even available for use.)

Comments

[lilysea]

It doesn't bother me.

If I think the message is important, I'll pause and try to read it.

But a lot of the texts in TV are replacing what used to be one-way conversations where you could only hear the character who was currently on screen.

[jo]

I've never paused or rewinded (rewound?) a show to attempt to read an on-screen text message. If it's critical to the plot, I do agree with the article that "directors and broadcasters need to depict it better."

[goodbyebird]

I watch things on my laptop or iPad, so it doesn't bother me, but if I watched things on a small to medium tv I'm sure that would change.

(just add /tag at the end of the community URL and you're golden.)

[jo]

Well, I have a 55" TV and they're not readable on that, most of the time. Some exceptions, such as Sherlock (which the article discussed). Plus, depending on the show, I'm not always looking at the screen all the time, so it's annoying if I glance up and realize the characters have been texting. I've never ever paused (or rewinded) a show to try to read the on-screen text.

[saddlerfan]

I guess this is why I'm glad that the shows I watch the most are 80s soap operas that had no text messages! lol Nah seriously, I'm okay with text messages as long as I can make out what they're saying. If not, I get annoyed.

[bleodswean]

This is a major turn-off for me. I will attempt to read the message but c'mon. I'm trying to think of a pre-cell film / tv that relied on a letter or note to be read by the audience...

[yourlibrarian]

I actually can think of some (murder mysteries finding a clue, for example) but have to agree that this is increasingly the case today. (Plus a letter is often much clearer and has larger writing).

I find it best when they don't focus on the phone but instead have a shot of the person looking at it while showing the enlarged text on the screen next to them. I agree though that there are lots of shows that just show the text on the phone and it's often not very readable. I have had to not only pause but walk closer to the TV to be able to read them.

[bleodswean]

Right! Sherlock handled this perfectly, but the screen overlays had already been established and therefore weren't a shock.

[donutsweeper]

I've had this problem. It's not just texting too, it's any time people use phones, especially if we're supposed to realize the person on screen is lying (about who they are calling/received a call from, if a call went through, etc). I have to be quick with the pause button to figure it out and then sometimes I can't read it. It's annoying.

[rocky41_7]

I've seen them. They're slightly less convenient than actual dialogue, but they can be done well, and I think it would feel really jarring given the prevalence of texting in the world today for it to never come up in TV. Shows just need to make sure they're clearly displaying the thing people are supposed to be reading.

[rodo]

I usually notice a lot of communication via text in Korean dramas, and those usually add a voice-over, which I think is a pretty good way to deal with the problem.

[china_shop]

Yes, this!

[senmut]

If the test is MEANT to be read, it needs a voice over or linger on the screen long enough.

If it is, like an earlier comment, just a bit of communication where, in the past, we only would have gotten one side anyway, I don't see a problem.

[mcbangle]

I have noticed this, and I do end up pausing the shows and, on occasion, stepping closer to the TV to read them. I'm a perfectionist who gets bothered when I miss any details, so I'll pause and try to read it all even if the contents of the message aren't important to the show.

I've seen some shows that showed a person typing on their phone and then a full-screen close-up on the key message(s) that remained on screen long enough for most viewers to read it. I thought that was pretty reasonable. I also like it when the actors voice the text messages as they are being displayed, and the "Sherlock solution" as discussed in the article - Good Omens did something similar in season 2.

[starwatcher]

I do dislike that; grr... But because I'm a completist, I'll pause the show and walk across the room to get close enough to read it. Sometimes it was worth it, sometimes not.

But I can do that. My BFF is post-polio and bedbound, so that option isn't available to her. And I'm not sure texting is as universal activity as folks like to believe it is.

In short, this "style" adds a layer of inaccessability. They should do away with it or [a] make the text large enough to fill the screen and [b] leave it up long for an average reader to ingest it.

[dwell_ondreams]

If it's moving the plot along & I can read it, I'm good with it. It's just another way to tell the story. BBC Sherlock did it well.

Most of the time, it's as the article says, you can't read the texts because they're too small &/or not on the screen long enough. Then it's extremely annoying.

[meridian_rose]

YES. I like when the text pops up on the TV screen at the side of the action either in little message bubbles or just NAME: text written; but not when I'm supposed to be reading tiny text on someone's phone on my TV screen. It's difficult and sometimes almost impossible to read.
The use of text messages has become more prevalent and that's fine it it's handled well. With emails you often get a better close up of a PC screen/laptop and enough time to read it or at least get the gist if it's hinting at something via the subject line.