The instant messenger as a new context for swearing at work

What is it about?

This chapter demonstrates how the affordances of computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies can frame and reframe swearing in the workplace. In particular, we provide evidence that communicating via digital technologies leads to novel communicative situations – situations that might be held accountable for the spread of swearing at work. This is because colleagues exchanging written digital messages can use the channel to perform swearing in a light-hearted, playful way, and thus avoid face-to-face confrontation and being accused of verbal aggression in professional contexts.

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Photo by Jack B on Unsplash

Photo by Jack B on Unsplash