Exploring Swear Words in IshowSpeed’s “Bad Parenting”: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract

The use  of language  in the  digital  age is increasingly  diverse,  reflecting  the  social, emotional,  and  cultural  aspects  of its speakers. In the  context  of social media  and entertainment  platforms such  as  YouTube,  the  use  of  swear   words   is  often  an expressive strategy that attracts the attention of viewers. The study entitled “Exploring Swear  Words in  IshowSpeed’s  'Bad Parenting':   A Sociolinguistic  Study”  aims to identify the types and functions of swear words used by the content creator in one of his contents.  This study uses a descriptive qualitative method and Jay's (2009)  theory, which classifies swear words based on their type and function.  The data was taken from a video transcript of one of Speed's content titled “Speed plays Bad Parenting *SCARY GAME*”. The results of this study show that Speed often uses swear words as a form of emotional expression, humor, and social interaction with his audience. Based on these findings, it appears that the swear words used by Speed not only serve as an outlet for emotion but also as a characteristic communication strategy in building social interaction with the audience in online game video content.