From Starstruck to The Bear: why are text messages on TV so impossible to read?

Characters' messages are often so tiny you're left squinting at the screen, or shown so fast it's like peering over a stranger's shoulder on the bus. Television has a major texting problem

It was when I was crouched on all fours in front of my television, squinting at the screen with my head tilted, that I realised TV might have a texting problem.

My partner and I were bingeing the new season of Rose Matafeo's BBC romcom Starstruck - a solid four stars from us - but on-off lovers Jessie and Tom would insist on playing out their situationship via text. We kept having to rewind, freeze-frame and approach the screen to read them. OK, we are of a certain age", but I shudder to imagine how the properly elderly or vision-impaired coped.