To get your attention, I could’ve thrown the F-word somewhere into this sentence.

Despite the popular increase in swearing, it still serves its original purpose: to portray feelings of surprise, anger, frustration and sometimes joy.

Whether you unapologetically have a potty mouth or have sworn to stay away from cussing, (ironic, right?) you can’t deny that swearing is a part of our culture.

While it seems that a large population of the students in our school utter enough swear words throughout the day to make their autobiography R rated, it is important to know limitations and set boundaries for your vocabulary.
These words sometimes turn into name calling or wishing someone harm, so it’s no wonder that swearing is commonly known as a weapon. It has become a form of verbal abuse often portrayed alongside harassment and violence. 

However, there can be satisfaction when swearing in a positive manner. It has the power to free us of feelings of anger and frustration and can be used as a substitute to physical violence. It can emphasize feelings you have for a person or situation. It knows no social boundaries of age or class.

The emotion put into swearing is often overlooked, maybe because quantity has trumped quality. Some students may be raised in a completely clean household but may learn a lengthy list of swear words from the media, their peers, their friends or even teachers. Some people just let the words fall out of their mouth, again and again until it seems like just another mediocre term used in their vocabulary.

Author Jay T of The Utility and Ubiquity of Taboo Words explains that “swearing is like using the horn on your car, which can be used to signify a number of emotions (e.g., anger, frustration, joy, surprise.)” I agree with this statement and would like to add that nobody likes the person who lays on the horn at every small bump in the road.

Learn how to swear and when to swear. Know that crap is also a swear word, though a mild one, and can be used in place of the f word to avoid coming off as being offensive. You may make a few people feel uncomfortable, especially those in a business or public setting. These taboo words range from mildly offensive to extremely offensive, which proves they must be used wisely and scarcely.

If you have a list of obscene swear words tucked in your back pocket, keep it for those moments with people you know well. If you can manage to do that, you would surprise me.

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Reference:
Jay, T. (2009). The utility and ubiquity of taboo words. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4(2), 153-161.