Have you noticed the increasing use of profanity in our media?

“Some researchers have suggested that frequent exposure to profanity might lead to a kind of “swearing fatigue,” where taboo words lose their emotional impact over time. This could explain why what was once considered shocking language in media or public discourse might now barely raise an eyebrow” (https://neurolaunch.com/psychology-of-swearing-and-foul-language/).

This tendency can be observed in a lot of current events YouTube videos. The use of vulgar and profane words has become very common. In fact, our current president used “f**k when referring to Israel and Iran’s violation of a ceasefire agreement in their war. The presidential use of such a word is a first. It breaks a speech taboo and sets the precedent of permission for future speech for all Americans.

In actuality, the president’s vocabulary has generally been more restrained than those of many comedians and political pundits. Why is this? Why has the media become less constrained in their use of words?

“One answer is that research has shown that swearing can actually increase pain tolerance. In one study, participants who were allowed to swear while submerging their hands in ice-cold water were able to keep them submerged for longer than those who used neutral words. It’s like a verbal version of punching a pillow – cathartic and surprisingly effective.”

“But swearing isn’t just about pain management. It can also play a role in social bonding and group identity. Think about how you might speak differently with your closest friends compared to how you talk with your grandparents or your boss. Shared use of taboo language can create a sense of intimacy and in-group belonging. It’s like a secret handshake, but with words that would make your mother blush.”

“Swearing can also be a powerful tool for emphasis and persuasion in communication. When used sparingly and strategically, a well-placed swear word can grab attention and drive home a point more effectively than polite language alone. It’s the verbal equivalent of an exclamation point – use it too often, and it loses its impact, but deploy it at just the right moment, and it can be incredibly powerful” (neurolanch.com).

There’s more to media swearing than these observations, though. Media people are swearing more because we are living in an age where cultural customs, and rules are being challenged on many levels. For example: What is truth and what is a lie? What is constitutional and what is unconstitutional? What is male and what is female? Are there checks and balances setting boundaries between the three branches of government or have they been abrogated?

We are living in an era where virtually every tradition and moral value we possess are being challenged.

This attack on morality is best exemplified by the use of profanity and vulgar language in the media and in politics. How long will these challenges continue?

That’s a difficult question to answer. If tradition holds, there will be a severe whiplash to these challenges to traditional American morality and values. It’s likely that the Democrats will return to power in Congress and immediately move to impeach the president and to remove him from office.

This will not end the conflict or the stress. Swearing and vulgarities will only likely increase during this period as competing moral values clash. What comes out of this time remains to be seen. What is definite is that America will be different. Some of the values of our current administration will remain—for better or worse.

Constitutional amendments will be passed to avoid another time such as ours. This has been the history of change in America’s past. That’s why we have twenty-seven Amendments to our Constitution. Each of those amendments arose out of a time where our governmental and moral values were brought to a crisis point.

There will be a reevaluation of what it means to be an American and what is moral and immoral. My prediction is that the counter reaction will solidify and clarify who we are as a people and as a nation. People fight harder to preserve what they have than they will struggle to bring in a new set of values. Whether the coarsening of our language will end or whether it continues as the new norm remains to be seen.

As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us will make us stronger.” Let’s hope we survive this time of crisis.