It is an activity all of us engage in: Gossip. Often, we are told not to gossip, as it is a malicious thing. Gossip can ruin relationships, destroy trust, and tarnish reputations. However, is it also possible for gossip to be healthy?
According to a study done by the University of California, Berkeley, the spread of rumors "can have positive outcomes such as helping us police bad behavior, prevent exploitation, and lower stress". This study demonstrated that gossip could potentially be "therapeutic".When participants observed bad behavior, their heart rates would increase, but would be calmed when they were able to inform others. The frustration of witnessing another person cheating could be alleviated through gossip.
In an experiment, 111 participants took part in "economic trust games", and were willing to sacrifice money for a chance to gossip and warn others of cheaters. The study shows that people don't have to feel guilty talking bad about others, "especially if it helps save someone from exploitation".
In another experiment, 300 participants were gathered to play an online economic trust game with raffle tickets for a $50 cash prize. The game would last several rounds, and some players were warned that observers could gossip during a break to warn players in the next round of who was not trustworthy. This "threat of being the subject of negative gossip spurred virtually all the players to act more generously", demonstrating the usefulness of gossip in encouraging better behavior.
Backbiting is undoubtedly a large part of our conversations with our peers. It helps maintain social order, warning other people of the untrustworthy, or scaring the untrustworthy into being more generous. It also helps diminish stress. What we frequently think of as a sly, hurtful activity, can also serve a good purpose.
Questions to consider: Is there such thing as a difference between good gossip and bad gossip? Where do we draw the line? How can they affect one's health or the social order?
This post is extremely relevant to college life as I can attest to both overhearing others gossip as well as personally indulging in gossip myself as well. It is a prevalent occurrence on campus that, although everyone does, is viewed as negative. What makes this post especially interesting is that it reverses this common thought. I would agree that often times people will try to behave better themselves in order that they are not looked upon badly by the rest of their peers and having the ability to gossip makes this threat all the more present. I think that this also brings about questions about whether laws have a similar effect on people's actions.
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