ZHIVOTOVSKI: Can gossiping actually be good for us?
Column: Are You Thinking What I Am Thinking?
Gossiping has gotten a bad reputation for too long. Of course, I am one of many who live by the saying: "If you have nothing nice to say, then do not say it at all," but not all gossip is bad gossip.
For ages, we have relied on gossip as a means to share and spread our collective human history. Some of the most powerful social anecdotes have been passed down from generation to generation via gossip, and many families are able to trace their histories back due to the stories shared by their ancestors in whispered breaths.
In early societies, gossip was not just a hobby but an important means by which information was spread, which allowed for the prolonged survival of distant tribes. They could share what predators were located in certain areas and what herbal medicines provided remedies to certain ailments. These are just some of the ways that people were able to survive and learn through gossiping.
Time Magazine classified this form of gossip as "evidence of cultural learning," with its uses only expanding as time went on, taking on new cultural meanings. In this way, gossip evolved from helping us learn skills that are valuable to our survival to helping us learn more about meaningful social skills and acceptable norms.
While good gossip helped us adopt behaviors from others that we wished to emulate in ourselves, bad gossip was also beneficial at times, as it was used to expose poor behaviors, such as cheating on a spouse or stealing from others. These behaviors were often talked about negatively and were thus labeled unfavorable since they were associated with negative consequences.
While gossip is most often associated with negative talk, it is important to note that recent studies have shown that most gossip is conducted in a neutral, informative tone, further highlighting the lack of accurate education surrounding it. Researchers found that 85 percent of gossip consisted of neutral or harmless small talk, according to a study published in a journal issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Today, gossip is one of the most valuable social skills that we possess. In order to participate in productive gossiping, a certain level of trust and comfort is required between you and the people with whom you share information. Mastering this skill thus helps create a deeper social network of people, who will also be more likely to come to you when they have similar information to share.
Prosocial gossiping is an extension of this principle and is rooted in an overall concern for others. By sharing important information with others, for example, about an untrustworthy friend, gossiping serves as a warning to help our close circle to make informed decisions.
In a similar way, gossiping can improve the workforce as it can provide transparency in environments that thrive on the exploitation of workers that are kept in the dark. By sharing information on working conditions and wages, employees can use harmless gossip to lobby for equal payment and a fair working environment.
As far as our individual health is concerned, gossiping can actually improve mental health. When done effectively, it can reduce stress levels as it lifts people's perceived social status while also making you feel more connected to others.
Instead of being shamed for gossiping, we should be encouraged to learn how to effectively engage in the practice and build a community of trust and honesty for the benefit of our physical, mental and social health.
Emily Zhivotovski is a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in cell biology and neuroscience and minoring in health and society. Her column, "Are You Thinking what I am Thinking," runs on alternate Fridays.
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