Why is Generation Z Prone to Swearing? A Psycholinguistic Study on Semantic Shifts in Profanity

Nugroho, Sigit and Arezah, Ersaliya and Ahkam Alwi, Muhammad and Napitupulu, Lisfarika and Arief, Yanwar (2023) Why is Generation Z Prone to Swearing? A Psycholinguistic Study on Semantic Shifts in Profanity. Jurnal Gramatika: Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, 9 (2). pp. 301-315. ISSN 2460-6316

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Abstract

The phenomenon of swearing is a common form of verbal aggression used by humans to express displeasure towards others or a specific situation. In Indonesian society, it is typical to incorporate animal names and gender-related terms with regional connotations. Generation Z, who predominantly engage in social media, have learned to use words like animal names or genders as tools to express their emotions, both aggressively and non-aggressively which impact on interpersonal communication. The objective of this research is to analyze the semantic evolution of words coined by Generation Z. This will be achieved by applying four principles of semantic change: amelioration, pejoration, narrowing, and broadening. This research will explore the use of expletives in the style of Generation Z in their daily lives and the purpose behind their usage. The study adopts a qualitative approach, with eight respondents meeting the criteria of being part of Generation Z, frequently using expletives, and actively participating in social media. The data obtained will be analyzed using a thematic approach. The results of this study indicate that the expletives used by Generation Z have deviated from standard literal language. Despite undergoing semantic changes, the words coined by Generation Z still constitute a part of verbal aggression. The inability to contextualize expletives within normative, psychological, and sociological perspectives renders these words commonplace and acceptable.

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