This short documentary episode from Explained (by Netflix and Vox Media Studios) delves into the history, psychology, and cultural usage of the exclamation mark (“!”). It explores how this punctuation evolved from medieval manuscripts to modern digital communication, revealing its role in conveying excitement, tone, and personality—even debating whether it undermines trust in professional settings. Alongside expert interviews, the film considers how its emotional power has shaped written language today.
Explained | ! | FULL EPISODE | Netflix
In this episode: Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.
