Be honest: within the past day, week or month, you’ve probably said something a bit naughty. We all do it. It’s scientifically proven that the occasional expletive can relieve physical pain! There’s no shame in occasioanlly letting loose verbally. However, there is such a thing as too much swearing.

This isn’t a religious opinion- there are obviously prohibitions in Christianity on expletive language, but I’m not going to get into that. More importantly is the fact that swearing has become so incredibly common place in our culture, to the point where it’s been rendered meaningless.

Think about it. If you put on the average reality TV show, or South Park or Family Guy, odds are, you’re going to hear dozens of bleeps within a few minutes. Spend a day eavesdropping on the conversations of others, and you’re going to hear a few people droppin an F-bomb or two. You’ll probably catch yourself saying it, too.

Even little kids swear a ridiculous amount today compared to when we were kids, with access to the Internet and all it holds. I don’t know about you, but seeing a nine year old swear like a sailor actively makes me cringe.

This is a continuous trend in our culture to get more shocking. It’s why channels like HBO have gotten so risqué– nothing shocks people anymore. With constant media bombardment, channels get more and more extreme in what they’re willing to say and show to attract viewers. As Donald Trump shows us, anger and controversy brings in viewers.

This has disseminated down into the people. We’ve become accustomed to cussing, to the point where many words have lost meaning.

Beyond a cultural loss for innocence, this poses another problem for me: poetry. I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out.

A swear is one of the most descriptive and evocative words that someone can use. Nothing provokes a stronger reaction, a greater cacophony of thoughts and assosciations then something like the F words, good or bad. It’s an extremely powerful word.

However, given the constant use of it, its poetic power is constantly being taken from it. At some point, it’ll become just like any other word. It’s funny: in a sense, by broadening our everyday vocabulary, we actually reduce how meaningful we are.

Swear words can be poetry. Save them for when you really need them.

For more information check out:

Huffington Post: This History Of Swearing On TV Is Obscenely Fun

Scientific American: Why do we swear?

Disclaimer: Articles designated as “Editorial” represent the views and opinions of the author, not the 2015-2016 Periscope staff, CHS Administration, or the CHS student body