Forums → WEPR → Is explicit language becoming acceptable everywhere?

It's happening and it's disgusting. But to be honest I blame the parents. I havnt seen many children tv shows with language I wouldn't approve. But I see more then enough children who play or watch content that is not meant for them.

My 8 year old brother only started cursing when he started playing gta. Add that to the fact children go to school and use the internet to further pass on what they've learnt and I'm not surprised.

I'm playing the last of us and guess what? 90% of those i hear using a mic are children who call each other mother.... And beaches, thinking they are so cool and ******.

Curses are mostly a way for people hurt each other. It even is used to curse this imaginary force that caused you to trip or mess up. Now it's a way to relief stress and communicating. It became the cool language people use to show others they are mad over the same situation and support each other.

Kinda like the angry version of crying together.

I have to accept that it is happening. But in the end, they are just words. Swearing is not nice but it is something nearly meaningless, powerless. It is not even a good expression of the feelings that go with it, like anger for example.

So, with a clear mind, one doesn't have to pay so much attention. Swearing barely scratches the surface. Often when someone swears a lot it doesn't mean anything bad about the individual. Only that he/she is in the process of expressing his/her superficial anger. Something so frivolous has only a frivolous purpose. It cannot be used to express any deeper emotion or even deep anger.

So maybe, that's the reason it is becoming acceptable. Maybe people understand that words by themselves are meaningless.

Not saying of course that I support swearing anywhere, anytime. It is still not a nice thing to hear and watch, and definitely not preferrable to use over other words that can just as easily express your feelings. But, all I am saying is, that the words by themselves are so shallow, that there is no reason to take it more seriously than it deserves to be taken.

So, with a clear mind, one doesn't have to pay so much attention. Swearing barely scratches the surface. Often when someone swears a lot it doesn't mean anything bad about the individual. Only that he/she is in the process of expressing his/her superficial anger. Something so frivolous has only a frivolous purpose. It cannot be used to express any deeper emotion or even deep anger.

id have to disagree with that. in my whole life it was very obvious that people who curse alot are less logical, and let their feelings take control of them. usually, its the people who curse who cant win or even continue a debate, its the people who curse who get violent very easily, and its obviously the people who curse who are less patient.

cursing can be easily linked to violence, over-emotionality (real word?), impatience, ****iness and many other negative things.

im not saying that if a person doesnt say bad words he is naturally better then a one who does. but usually you can know alot about a person by just listening to his choice of words, or even worse, know about a childs future if he already has a certain vocabulary.

im not saying that if a person doesnt say bad words he is naturally better then a one who does. but usually you can know alot about a person by just listening to his choice of words, or even worse, know about a childs future if he already has a certain vocabulary.

Children are different. I agree that a child swearing, will most likely have some problems, communication, social or otherwise in his later life.

But what you say is another matter. I merely stated that swearing has become unable to express deep emotions. Of course it is still possible (and likely) that many people who swear a lot can actually carry a lot of anger, become violent quickly etc. but often, it is not the case

In the end, I mostly focused on another individual's action towards someone who swears. I believe one shouldn't jump to conclusions about that person and generally take the habit lightly.

id have to disagree with that. in my whole life it was very obvious that people who curse alot are less logical, and let their feelings take control of them. usually, its the people who curse who cant win or even continue a debate, its the people who curse who get violent very easily, and its obviously the people who curse who are less patient.

cursing can be easily linked to violence, over-emotionality (real word?), impatience, ****iness and many other negative things.

maybe those kids learn and use these words but they do not know the real meaning of the words yet...and even if the do (i remember when i was 8 that i saw a porn movie for the 1st time.) then it still doesn't mean anything. let me give a more recent example: their are this bounce of kids (boys and girls together, all under age 12.) that play outside somewhere near my house, about every day.. 1 day they were playing "sexual super hero".. that is what they called it. and what do you think that they did when you hear that?
...
...
well, the superhero was 1 of the girls. and 1 of the boys was a minor hero, like robin (batman). they were lovers but the girl played hard to get and didn't wanna kiss the boy. instead did the boy had 2 other girls as his "evil lovers". but the super girl didn't like that the other 2 girls tried to kiss the boy. (who ran for his life.. xD ) and to help protect the boy from the girls she defended them... and then their mom shouted that dinner was ready...

so to draw a conclusion from this event, the kids used "bad" language. but they thought it was about kissing. and they didn't even wanted to do that. so they don't fully understand the words with their complete meaning and they make up allot about it that is not what it really is. so it is harmless. i turned out right... right? i was even kinda late with the 1st time even tho i knew about it since i was 8.

besides, kids hear those words anyway.. you hear them all the time everywhere.. the bleeps on tv might only make them think about it more to figure out what word should be there... i still do that, and you 2 =P

(i hope it made sense. =) )

Well, not really because PROGRESSIVES! PROGRESSIVES EVERYWHERE!

I am puzzled to see that while you are so open to different cultural and societal contexts when it comes to cannibalism, you react totally opposite when it comes to swearing, even though both things depend a lot on the context.

well this place asked me of my opinion while the cannibalism page asked about whether it should be lega or not.

i have very bad opinion on both. i find them both disgusting and id never do either (by cursing, i dont mean getting hit and say "****" but i mean cursing someone for beating me in a game or because im mad at someone).

should cursing be illegal? lol no. and my personal opinion shouldnt effect that

well this place asked me of my opinion while the cannibalism page asked about whether it should be lega or not.

You would think it wouldnt take us so long to realize that these are just mere words that are only so "explicit" because of the negative connotation we have given them.

Tell me, why are these explicit words SO bad?

Tell me, why are these explicit words SO bad?

words are dead and very powerful at the same time...
words can be used with no meaning at all while the same words can also break people. it's not only the meaning that gives words their power. it's also determined by how much we recognize the words and care for their meaning.
we make words and sentences, and sometimes those words come out of hatred. the words made in such environment have a bad meaning to start with. other words have been taken hostage from their original normal meaning to be a bad word.

i hope that makes sense, it's pretty hard to explain where words get their power from. =/

Censorship for television has become more lenient in recent years, but I would guess it has little effect on when children start swearing. Children can learn explicit language from other sources besides television, such as from parents or other kids. Even if a child hears an explicit word, someone has to explain to that child what the word means. Other people can do that more easily than a television show or a movie can.

I think that makes sense, but to me still does not explain why you think so badly of people who curse. Even after reading the articles I linked, albeit them being rather extensive, I can find no link between cursing and all the bad traits you mention.

just personal experience i guess. it also depends on the culture too i guess. i just find it disgusting that people have to use such words when they can easily explain themselves or hey, even bad mouth each other with them. in fact, i extremely dislike how the word "fucing" can today be inserted into any sentence, in any context, and literally mean anything from the extreme awsome, epic good to the extreme bad.

i guess its also added by the fact that im a little bit of a "correct language" kind of guy.
and last of all, in hebrew... you simply curse less i guess? the grammar lives less room for unnecesairy curses so whenever a person does curse and its not because he just stubbed his foot its usually offensive. your first language must have a huge impact on your opinion i guess.

You would think it wouldnt take us so long to realize that these are just mere words that are only so "explicit" because of the negative connotation we have given them.

Tell me, why are these explicit words SO bad?

i never understood this argument in any context. arguing that these words are just words and they are bad because we made them bad is obvious. but this is what we created language for. if your gonna take away the bad context just cause you feel like it then anybody can take any context out that they want.

"you son of a..."
"why so mad? i didnt mean it in a bad way"
i mean really...? theres are certain words that like certain actions are just inappropriate. i could argue the same way against clothes (in hot places) and say that we should realise that theres no real reason behind them.

Censorship for television has become more lenient in recent years, but I would guess it has little effect on when children start swearing. Children can learn explicit language from other sources besides television, such as from parents or other kids. Even if a child hears an explicit word, someone has to explain to that child what the word means. Other people can do that more easily than a television show or a movie can.

you are right in a way but still... the farther you look in generations (at least in my case) the more curses you find. elementary students curse more then me and my friends (and my friends arent curse-nazis like me lol) and we curse more then our grandparents. i really do believe its the media.

i mean, when i was a child, we (including me) checked the age restrictions for all games or movies i watched. today it seems everybody ignores it and its just some kind of stamp companies use to not get sued. most of my brothers (11 years old) classmates have the latest 3 gta games, most of them talk about sex without fully understanding what that is and most of them watch this specific tv show that you wouldnt know about that has characters cursing (in a very offending way) their parents, friends and siblings every second.

i do think thats the main cause.

Tell me, why are these explicit words SO bad?

Censorship for television has become more lenient in recent years, but I would guess it has little effect on when children start swearing. Children can learn explicit language from other sources besides television, such as from parents or other kids. Even if a child hears an explicit word, someone has to explain to that child what the word means. Other people can do that more easily than a television show or a movie can.

you are right in a way but still... the farther you look in generations (at least in my case) the more curses you find. elementary students curse more then me and my friends (and my friends arent curse-nazis like me lol) and we curse more then our grandparents. i really do believe its the media.

Precisely. As you can read in the first article I posted, young adults "report to have learned these words from parents, peers, and siblings, not from mass media". Also children start using swear words early on, but acquire a 'swearing etiquette' with time.

Children might learn swear words from family members and also friends...

Apparently I saw a lot of kids playing GTA Online and I would blame Video games and also Media. Because they probably will learn the word Hope you die or You ******* from Friend and siblings but in GTA They will learn F word , **** all this kinds of words and also In some cartoons... (Only if bad parenting)

If kids wouldnt play GTA and also watch Cartoons with swear words I would say they wouldnt use a lot of swear words this days!