Let's end the 'age of profanity'

The '60s and '70s were the "Age of Aquarius."

The '80s are considered by some to be the age of big hair and even bigger greed.

Anybody walking down the street or down the aisle of any store won't be surprised to learn that some consider today to be the "age of profanity."

There's a casualness to swearing these days, where the "F-word" sprinkles conversation the way "groovy" did back in the '60s or "radical" did in the '80s.

According to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll, almost three-fourths of Americans — 74 percent — said they hear swearing in a public place frequently or occasionally. And 64 percent admit to using the "F-word" — some every day (8 percent) to a few times a year (15 percent).

According to the study, young people admit to swearing more than older people. They encounter it more and are less bothered by it. The AP-Ipsos poll showed that 62 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds said they swore in a conversation at least a few times a week. That compares to 39 percent among those 35 or older.

I'll admit to swearing on occasion — most often when my computer crashes at work, taking a page with it on deadline or when I have to slam on the brakes after getting cut off in traffic.

The last time, when I called the person an idiot, a friend's daughter gasped in surprise. "Caroline, you said a bad word."

After a brief moment of trying to defend myself, I had to admit to this very perceptive 5-year-old that yes, I had said something that wasn't nice.

But wouldn't it be nice if that was the worst word you heard today?

Caroline Lobsinger is the managing editor of the Daily Bee.