Everyday when we come to school, we all hear it: profanity. It’s in the halls, commons, cafeteria, classrooms, outside, and anywhere else on OHS campus. And it’s getting out of hand.

    Although swearing is part of language, it seems to have become more common within the past few years. I definitely hear it much more now during my senior year than I did during my freshman year. It’s being used excessively, especially at school.

    Here’s the thing: school is a public place. This is when a filter should be used when talking, because anyone can hear you. Students, teachers, faculty, and administration can all hear the profanity that is being used above the appropriate voice level. I have heard so many cuss words that have been screamed in the halls and in the commons. If you are going to swear, at least do it at a quieter voice level.  We all get mad and stressed, but there is no reason to swear so loudly that the whole hall can hear it. This is extremely disrespectful and inconsiderate of everyone else.

    So why do people do it? For starters, we are teenagers living in the age of social media. Some videos and posts do not bleep or blur out profanity. And, it seems that rap music and other popular songs contain profanity. These songs are what most teenagers listen to. It plays on the bluetooth speakers students use in the hallways, on the radio in the car, and almost everyone knows them at school dances. Since people are so used to hearing it, it has become normalized in teen culture. So, people think that it is okay to use it anytime, anywhere they are.

    It also seems like people think they have to use profanity in every single sentence. This is really excessive and unnecessary. Cursing has even turned into a filler in some cases. There are millions of words in the English language that could be used. Instead, we hear the select few over and over again.

    With the amount of people that swear, there’s really no penalty that can be put into effect to try and change this situation. However, we do need to start watching what we say. We all do it from time to time, but we never know if we could offend someone. We need to be respectful to those around us. How do you want to be seen by your peers and teachers?