INDONESIAN YOUTHS’ PERCEPTION TOWARD SWEARING AND TABOO EXPRESSION

Abstract

Language is a tool used by humans in communicating and interacting. Swearing words are part of a language used by people in expressing themselves. Currently, swearing words are being discussed by many people. This condition was triggered by a decision from KPAI (Indonesian Child Protection Commission) in September 2020 regarding the prohibition of the use of a swear word. The aim of this study is to find out the perceptions of the Indonesian youth generations regarding the use of swearing words. In this research, the researcher used a descriptive qualitative method with a questionnaire via Google form. The questionnaire was used as an instrument to reach wider and easier participants. In this study, researchers used age criteria for participants ranging from 15-26 years. This research was attended by 111 participants from various backgrounds and various cultures in Indonesia. As the result,
the researchers found that most of the participants thought that swearing had a bad impact on future generations. In addition, the use of swear words is a form of the speaker's expression in communicating. Subsequently, the researcher also found that the use of swearing words has various perceptions depending on the context and content being discussed.