The use of foul language - Essay Example

Have you ever considered that we will have difficulty understanding each other even though we are speaking in the same language In a world where the language of the MTV dominates our everyday conversation, it is not easy for people to comprehend each other even if they speak the same language. Understanding, of course, does not just refer to the effective utilization of language but it also refers to how courteously we use it and how 'appropriate' our language is to the situation. Thus, most people do not understand how foul language found its way into the mouths of discerning, moral, educated people and the youth especially whose language skills in this generation has been reduced to a few, limited explicit jargons and defamatory expressions.

Tracing the origin of the rise of foul language is a very easy task since a quick click of the remote control will you lead you to a world where the utterances of defamatory, explicit, foul language is as natural as breathing. Foul language has already invaded our living rooms and learning it will take only a few minutes. Hence, it is imperative that the government puts into practice laws to control public use of bad language. The first step that our law enforcers should do is to discuss with the students and school authorities ways which could prevent students from using bad language to each other.

As the students and the young people are the ones who spend the most time watching TV, they are also the ones who use foul language the most. What's worse is that, many students use defamatory and abusive expressions to each other which sometimes cause deeper problems such as fighting and bullying. School authorities, enforcers and students should make agreements to set up the rules with regards the avoidance of abusive language within the school premises. In this way, it will be clear to all that bad language is not tolerated and the enforcers should see to it that those who break the rules will be punished within the legal boundaries of the law.

In many schools these days, students are not apprehensive about using foul language to one another since this action sometimes does not count as a legal offense. By including the police and the school authorities in establishing this regulation, users of foul language will be forced to stop.Aside from setting up regulations which forbid the use of bad language in schools, government agencies and media watchdogs should enforce prohibitions against the use of foul words in the media such as T.V.

, radios, and newspapers where the use of abusive speech has become prevalent. Young people, who are mainly influenced by the 'cool' words they hear, will have no source of this deplorable use of language. As most young people and even adults look at the media especially television as their source of new expressions, fashion, modes of speaking and a plethora more of cultural ideas, the media is an extremely great source of cultural and linguistic influence in today's generation. Furthermore, if the TV personalities, actors and actresses as well as other media characters avoid the use of derogatory expressions, the audience will have new models to emulate in their manners of speech and behavior.

Moreover, government authorities and concerned citizens should come together and establish an organization which checks vigilantly the use of derogatory language in the media or the use of abusive utterances in public. Organizations like the Parents Television Council, which checks and makes sure that the media does not abuse its power by being derogatory and explicit, for instance, should be formed in order for the media to create shows that do not detrimentally influence the viewers. In its report, for instance, the Parents Television Council observed that MTV's use foul language 1 "occurred 8.

9 times per hour on MTV, compared with an average of 6.5 foul language uses per hour on broadcast." Organizations like these should be supported by the public, the schools and the government in order to ensure that viewers do not learn to be abusive at a very young age. This organization has achieved much in checking TV and media content and even asked the US Congress to pass legislations which prohibit foul language on television. Organizations like these should be started and created by the citizens as well as supported by the government through the establishment of clear and fair legislation which protects both the public and the media.

By controlling the use of foul language through the setting up of laws and putting them into practice as well as enforcing this prohibition, our society will be able to develop respect and tolerance towards others. The use of foul and abusive language have dominated our lives and in some point caused irritation and even violence. With the control and ban on its use in our everyday lives as well as in public, we will discover that language is a gift and thus, should not be abused through the throwing of insults, lambasting others with derogatory , explicit remarks or swearing at others just to make ourselves feel good.

The good is only achieved when we learn how to be tolerant, patient, and prudent enough to control what comes out in our mouths.WORKS CITEDShields, Todd (2005, February 1). Parents Television Council Criticizes MTV. Retrieved January 14, 2007, from MediaweekWebsite: http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/cabletv/article_display.jspvnu_content_id=1000781340