Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. This is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.
I try not to be controversial, but what is up with the way young people talk to each other these days? If you're friends you call one another *itch? How about the lovely word *hore? Is there ever really a need to use that? And, oh my gosh, if I hear one more young person use the F-word in every sentence, I might just scream.
Retired New York psychology professor Dr. Francis Compton spent over 30 years studying and understanding the social behaviors of adolescents. He says they mistakenly believe using such curse words, typically associated with adults, shows maturity. Freelance writer, Stef Daniels, a mother of four, stated in her article on the subject that the world seems to have become immune to bad language. Whether on prime time television, in music, or in books targeted to this age group, curse words are everywhere. She also mentions that some parents don't feel like cuss words are worthy of stiff punishments.
For me, the consistent use of strong curse words in regular interaction with each other is a sign of lack of respect--for the person you're speaking to and for yourself. It's one thing if you smash your knee on the corner of the desk and exclaim, "F***, that hurt!" It's totally different if your snap chats to your friends looking something like this...
"Listen, you *unt. I don't F'ing care if you like him, you *itch. He's my boyfriend and you better stay the F away from him!"
The girls and their friends read me some of their social media conversations. They just about make my eyes cross. Not in a million years would I have considered talking to anyone that way when I was a teenager. If my dad found out, it wouldn't have ended well.
Right now, I provide correction when I hear it, and pray a lot that they will grow out of it. How have you handled your kids swearing?
