The rising usage of swear words in literature suggests that American society is becoming increasingly individualistic

Comedian George Carlin’s 1972 routine “the seven words you can never say on television” underlined his generation’s rejection of the niceties and constraints of post-war American society. Seeing how the use of these swear words has changed over time captures the evolving American psyche, according to a new study by San Diego State University psychology professor Jean M. Twenge.