"Bad words" are meaningless. Not being able to say curse words (ex. at work, in front of children) is ridiculous because curse words serve no function other than to be bad.

The common idea is that we shouldn't swear 1) because it is disrespectful/mean/rude or 2) it is indicative of "poor education" or a disreputable status. My response is that swear words only have the power we give them. They are words we can use diversely (yes Urban Dictionary is a reputable source in this case because we're dealing with internet slang).

I wouldn't want to make my next argument law, but it is something I think people should be aware of. Language can be used as a barrier to better jobs. People are expected to be able to articulate themselves in certain ways (i.e. how to format an email) but word choice, dictation, and accent effect the prospects of minority students (especially in the US). Swearing is not indicative of low education.

Overall I think there is a difference between a word used to hurt and a word used for emphasis or embellishment (aka liberal uses of swears).

Disagree completely
I find the increased use and acceptance of swearing sad and offensive and I do hope it isn't an evolutionary language process.
Employers, perhaps,judge the use of swearing on the outburst of indicated exasperation and frustration than of displaying a calm approach to problem solving. Swearing may not be indicative of a poor education but it surely is an indication of poor judgement used inappropriately.
Accents, as you mention,if genuinely regional rather than assumed from tv watching, faddy and non indigenous are interesting and good to hear.
The purpose of language is communication and we should aspire to the best possible use not reduce to the lowest common denominator in my opinion.

When I worked with teenagers, we had a rule. You could swear at a situation through frustration but not at each other. This is why I am mixed.

Swearing sometimes feels good. When in a situation in which you are frustrated it can relieve tension. Researchers say swearing helps the body combat pain. It’s called the analgesic response, which makes the body more impervious to pain. Swearing also triggers an emotional response which can work to your benefit, if you need the extra motivation.

However I personally think, of course there may be some exceptions to the rule, however generally swearing at another person should not always be allowed due to the effects this can have on another person. Swearing at a situation does not affect other people, however swearing at another person does.

The concern I have with allowing swearing is that it might not teach younger people how to deal with difficult situations maturely and respectfully.

Swearing is always usually used in a moment of anger and annoyance. When someone is swearing, it gives off the impression that they are quite aggressive, and sometimes intimidating.

If we allowed people to swear, there would be a worry that we are in turn teaching people that it is okay to always respond in anger, rather than dealing with it in a gentle and mature approach. This is mainly an issue when the anger is directed at another person rather than just a situation.

This could cause problems in a professional atmosphere. It could cause quite a negative and toxic work atmosphere.

Swearing never really helps a situation and just makes everything seem more aggressive. If swearing was allowed, would it not make society a more negative place?

Swearing should not always be allowed because it has to do with emotional language and directly affects individual and collective mental health. Despite the plethora of articles online supporting swearing as something that is actually a good and creative use of language, I believe that we should differentiate among different kinds of swearing and who it is directed to.

I find that people internalise language through communication and this is why swearing should not always be allowed. It is emotional and a product of hate or anger in many cases, so swearing can be really harmful, especially when directed towards others. Swearing can even turn to a form of abuse, so people should think about the consequences of freely allowing curse words in all contexts.

TL;DR- I think there's generally nothing wrong with swearing, and it can even be beneficial. Swear words are generally harmless if not aimed at anyone, and what we should be focusing on combating (in school, in the workplace, etc.) is slurs and hateful language.

According to a recent study by psychologist Richard Stephens, swearing increases pain tolerance: [students who repeated a curse word were able to keep their hand in a bucket of ice water longer than those who uttered a neutral word] (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160303-the-surprising-benefits-of-swearing). This makes sense, as swearing can be a very effective release of built up anger, pain, etc.- its a way of venting! It also [activates the 'fight or flight' response, leading to a surge of adrenaline and corresponding analgesic effect.] (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/hell-yes-the-7-best-reasons-swearing)

Swearing is also a motivational expression, and a well-known and very effective study technique is to say 'f*ck it' and then launch yourself into typing that essay, rather than saying 'right, I can do this' and then proceeding to work. Swearing [can give us a greater sense of power and control over a bad situation] (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/hell-yes-the-7-best-reasons-swearing) or a difficult challenge, so it would definitely be helpful in this example.

Despite this, in schools and the workplace, swearing is disciplined fairly harshly (particularly at school). But shouldn't these environments be focusing on combating slurs and hateful language instead, rather than a student dropping a harmless f-bomb in excitement?

Swearing is something pretty much everyone does anyway, and can even be beneficial, so we shouldn't be so fussy about it. Racist, homophobic, ableist, etc. slurs, on the other hand, do actually hurt people and spread hate, so they are a completely different story.

Swearing is usually used to free stress and feel less frustrated, but I don't think it's an excellent option to normalize between people and much less between children.

Every scenario is different. For example, if I'm arguing with a friend or my partner, I can swear to liberate the anger and repress some words I may regret later, but in any case, swearing is just so harmful as other words.

If we allow children to swear, we teach them to express their anger negatively because they will normalize swearing for almost everything that doesn't work well for them, and as kids, they are not conscious enough of how hurting those words can be.