It was a regular Netflix binge session during the weekend that kind of hit the dormant ‘suggestible’ button; it let my idle mind conjure theories that could potentially trigger a sense of general suggestibility. 

Curiously, it was just one of those subtitles at the bottom of the television screen that created this unreasonable suggestibility factor. The subtitle read ‘whoosh sound in the background’ and, out of habit, I strained my ears to catch that sound – which on all counts appeared muted. 

But if the person sitting behind the keyboard, typing out all the sounds and words for the show/movie on the OTT platform, heard it, there can be no denying its origin. And so I switched off all the sound-making devices – the air-conditioner that was set on low and the softly whirring fan – before rewinding it to the ‘whoosh’ scene.

Nothing!

It is intriguing that many, like me, have developed an affinity for subtitles even when the show/movie is in the language that we understand. And I am sure they too wonder how we ever followed movies and shows on television before OTT platforms changed the set up by incorporating easy to comprehend subtitles.

But that is another topic altogether.  

Going back to the concept of suggestibility, there is, seemingly, nothing inherently ‘suggestible’ about a subtitle popping on the television screen, considering the skill required in catching every word/sound. However, what does indicate susceptibility is the willingness to accept the presence of distinct background sounds, even when the ears fail correlate them with the visuals.

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Clearly, we all nurse some levels of suggestibility. While it is understandable that some of us are more suggestible than others and many are relatively unaffected, don’t we all (read that as most of us) believe that yawning is contagious? We find it difficult to stifle a yawn when someone around us lets out a loud ‘ahh’ yawn. 

Now, that right there is an act of suggestibility. 

Not surprisingly, our everyday life is filled with such facets of suggestibility; we constantly rely on suggestions we heard/read from friends and even random social media influencers when it comes to shopping, dining out or even visiting health specialists. We consciously seek suggestions, even at the cost of overriding our personal judgment, at times. 

While psychology has parameters to define and describe suggestibility, I am inclined to think it is generally harmless, even paradoxical, considering the multitude of triggers we encounter while consuming social media. The danger, though, looms large when we become highly suggestible; this state can have dire consequences, more so in the politics of our times, which is teeming with misinformation.