After clicking through a number of cable channels, I was stunned by the amount of profanity I heard during the family hours.

We have this ongoing debate in our household. Do people really use the amount of profanity we hear on TV and in media?

My teens seem to think media reflect the culture. I think media push the boundary and makes it appear as if people use constant profanity. In my work world, I do not hear this level of profanity. Maybe I am naive or not exposed to the average person who swears all day. I don’t know, but my daily life (lived in the secular world) is not filled with profanity.

According to the Parents Television Council, a nonpartisan educational organization advocating responsible entertainment, the amount and gravity of free broadcast network television profanity is higher than ever. Compared to a few years ago, broadcasters have deliberately unleashed profanity onto the public. A decision July 2010 by the Second Court of Appeals ruled  that expletives on late-night TV could fly freely and do not violate decency laws. Profanity on prime time television (8-11p.m. ET) increased 69% since 2005. While the language may not violate decency law, it violates my sensibilities.

My question is WHY do we need to hear all this profanity?

Are we at a loss for words? Do people really have trouble thinking of other ways to express themselves? Or does media love the shock value and constantly push the boundary of decency?

And what is the end goal here? So our kids can sound like little trash-mouthed adults? This is something we want? Honestly, I don’t get it.

Profanity is crass and indicates a limited use of the English language. It offends. It often objectifies women and is degrading. Nothing good comes from desensitizing us to vulgarity.

So why do you think profanity is so prevalent in media? What is the end goal of ramping up the vulgarity?