Daily Mail Poll on Swearing on Television
79% of Britons now think that there is more swearing on television than there was 10 years ago, while only 3% believe there is less and 13% think that the level is about the same, according to an Ipsos poll for the Daily Mail.
Key Findings
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A large majority (79%) think that there is more swearing on television than there was 10 years ago, while only 3% believe there is less and 13% think160that the level is about the same.160160160
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Two-fifths160(42%) of the British public see swearing on television as a problem generally, while 57% do not. Women are more likely to see it160as a problem than men (51% compared with 32% of men) and age is also a factor - around two thirds (64%) of those aged 55 or over see it as a problem, compared with160only a160fifth (22%) of those aged 18-34.160160160
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Slightly more people feel that swearing before the 9pm watershed is a problem (48%). The public are160very evenly split on this, however, with the same proportion saying it is not a problem (47%).160
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Although two fifths160of the public find swearing on television offensive (43%),160fewer say they have actually been offended by it in the last 12 months (25%).160Again, this is more likely to be the case for women (32%, compared to 19% of men) and those aged 55 or over (45%, compared to 20% of 35-54s and only 8% of 18-34s).
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Three-quarters (76%) feel that swearing on television is a bad influence160on young people, and160two-thirds (68%)160think that it has directly led to young people using more bad language. Young people agree with this (65% of those aged between 18-34 agree160that it has led to young people using more bad language!).
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Interestingly, parents appear to be slighly less concerned about the impact that swearing on TV has on young people than the public as a whole; three in five people with children in their household think it has directly led to young people using more bad language (59%), compared to almost three-quarters (72%) among those who do not have children in their household.160
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Two-thirds160(67%)160agree that TV shows should be realistic, even if that sometimes means the use of swearing. Men are more likely to agree that TV shows should be realistic than women (73% compared with 62% of women).160160160
Technical Note
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Ipsos Interviewed a representative sample of 807 adults across Great Britain aged 18+. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.
Fieldwork took place by telephone on 10th June 2010.
