About Gossip

Gossip. That annoying, behind-the-back conversation that nearly everyone has had. It can come in the form of a whisper or giggle-filled chatter, and it usually involves speculation surrounding someone's life. Gossip is the passing of rumors from person to person and there's a pretty good chance that even you have been gossiped about. If you've always wondered what it means to gossip about someone, how it affects someone or just about gossip in general, read on.

Pitfalls of Gossip

While gossip may seem innocent, it can affect people's lives. According to the International Child and Youth Network, this "dark" side of gossip incites fights, ruins friendships and causes isolation between groups. When a person is gossiped about, usually false rumors are passed around that can ruin that person's reputation. As the gossip spreads, the person has less of a chance of debunking the rumor and keeping their reputation intact. For example, if there is gossip going around that a student is sleeping with a teacher, and the rumor is heard by members of the school's administration, the administration may start investigating. This can tarnish a teacher's reputation.
If somebody is gossiping about you, the best thing to do is confront them. That way, you can clear up whatever rumor that they are gossiping about.

Time Frame

Gossip can start as young as elementary school age, when kids whisper about who has a crush on who, who has cooties and other immature things like who's not popular and why. But, as kids grow up and become adults, simple schoolyard gossip can make others feel self-conscious, lower their self-esteem and cause them to isolate themselves. In high school, when teens are developing and coming into their own, gossip can cause the most damage. For example, if people start gossiping that a girl sleeps around, it can ruin her reputation and cause her to withdraw from social outings because of it.

Gossip in the Workplace

While there may be time for idle chatter in the workplace, gossip time should be saved for after-work hours. However, although it is unprofessional to gossip about a boss and co-workers, it's frequent. Gossip in the workplace can stem from a simple rumor, such as a boss cheating with a secretary, an unworthy promotion or the imminent loss of a job. In the workplace, gossip can tarnish careers and even get people fired depending on the nature of the gossip. As a result, co-workers who feel the need to gossip, should do it at lunch time, away from the office, if they really feel the need to do it at all.

Celebrities and Gossip

In show business, celebrities live by the rule that all publicity is good publicity. Since most of this publicity stems from gossip, this rule rings true for gossip as well. As more celebrity gossip magazines and blogs talk about the antics or rumors surrounding a star, that person's popularity increases. As their popularity catapults, they are offered more movie deals, commercials and opportunities to be on television. For example, when a celebrity is rumored to have a sex tape and it is gossiped about for weeks, then the celebrity's star status increases because of their constant appearance on celebrity news shows, magazines and blogs. Once the tape surfaces, the celebrity's fame skyrockets and the gossip mill runs wild with speculation over whether the celebrity released the tape on purpose.

Benefits of Gossip

According to the International Child and Youth Care Network, there are also benefits of gossip. Believe it or not, gossip has been known to give people reasons to socialize and also provides pleasure to people. People who gossip tend to feel more self-worthy and respectable compared to those that they gossip about, according to the International Child and Youth Care Network, and sets standards for what is appropriate in society.

Resources

• Benefits of Gossip
• Pitfalls of Gossip