Fact Check: "Australians rank third in online vulgarity, using 22 curses per 100,000 words."
What We Know
Recent research led by the University of Queensland analyzed over 1.7 billion words of online content from 20 English-speaking countries to examine the use of vulgar language. The study found that Australians actually use vulgar language less frequently than both Americans and the British. Specifically, the frequency of vulgar words in the dataset was 0.022% for Australians, compared to 0.036% for Americans and 0.025% for the British (Global study finds Australians are third most prolific swearers, What 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the ...).
In terms of the number of users who employed at least one vulgar word, approximately 9.4% of Australians did so, which is lower than the 12% of Americans and 10% of Brits (What 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the ...). The claim that Australians rank third in online vulgarity is misleading, as it implies a higher frequency of swearing than the data supports.
Analysis
The claim that Australians use 22 curses per 100,000 words is not substantiated by the research findings. The study's results indicate that Australians actually swear less than both Americans and Brits, with the frequency of vulgar words being 0.022% of total words used. This translates to approximately 22 curses per 100,000 words, but it is crucial to note that this figure does not place Australians in a leading position in terms of swearing frequency. Instead, it positions them as the third least frequent users of vulgar language among the countries studied (Oh, Sh*t! Which Country Swears the Most Online?, Americans more vulgar online than Brits, Aussies — study).
The reliability of the sources is high, as they stem from a comprehensive study published in a peer-reviewed journal, Lingua, and conducted by reputable researchers from the University of Queensland and Monash University. The methodology involved analyzing a vast dataset that excluded social media and private messaging, focusing instead on publicly available texts like news articles and blogs, which adds to the credibility of the findings (Global study finds Australians are third most prolific swearers, What 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the ...).
Conclusion
The claim that Australians rank third in online vulgarity, using 22 curses per 100,000 words, is False. The research indicates that Australians actually swear less frequently online than both Americans and the British. The misunderstanding likely arises from a misinterpretation of the data, which does not support the assertion that Australians are prolific swearers in the online context.
