[thuanao]

Somewhat related: What is with the rampant cursing nowadays? In the US people are openly saying f-word in professional settings, in public to strangers or acquaintances, in writing and video... seemingly everywhere even in calm normal conversations.

I don't remember it being like this decades ago. Is it just me? I remember people used to curse only in private conversation, when angry, and never at the office in meetings and professional contexts.

[SamBam]

Yeah, there's been a pretty big generational shift, I think mostly from GenZ. I'd posit that texting/social media may be a reason.

I first went to grad school ~20 years ago, and no one cursed in class, especially not the professors.

I recently went back to school and got another masters, and nearly all the mid-20-year-olds drop f-bombs in regular classroom talk to the professor constantly, like they don't even hear that they're doing it. Some professors don't mind, and even respond in kind (though much more self-consciously), some are clearly displeased, but the students barely notice.

[SoftTalker]

Yes it's particularly prevalent in the under-30 crowd, and especially people under 25. I don't know about teens, not around them very much these days.

Don't get me wrong, I used that word plenty when I was that age, but only among peers in informal settings. Never at work or when talking to a person in a respected position.

[bigstrat2003]

It's not just you, and I would say that there seems to have been a general coarsening of society. The other day I saw someone with a bumper sticker saying "I pooped today", which I did find funny, but I reflected that it never would've been socially acceptable 30 years ago or so. People seem to have rejected the idea that some things are not acceptable to discuss or display openly. See for example "let your freak flag fly" and so on.

There are pros and cons to it, I suppose. I don't think it's bad for gay people to be out of the closet, for example. But I also find stuff like the rampant swearing* or "I pooped today" to be a bit troubling as I get older and think "man I wouldn't want my kids to learn it's ok to talk like that".

* not casting stones, I have a very strong swearing habit myself that I try to curb. It's hard.

[BrandoElFollito]

Maybe because this is how people communicate?

I am French and when I speak English I use fuck when someone fucked up. I also say sex when people are, well, fucking.

The f*k, g**y, m***ly and others are childish.

[SamBam]

But there are appropriate contexts.

I don't know your line of work, but presumably there are contexts where you wouldn't say "fuck," like to your CEO, or your top client, or your kid's teacher, or something, right?

So people just have different opinions on where the line is, and that line has shifted to include more contexts. That's simply what people are noticing.