Those annoying people sent to teach us a lesson
Frank McAndrew, an expert on human social behavior and gossip, emphasizes that our ancestors were equally fascinated by the lives of other, more successful people.
Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar pioneered the idea that gossip evolved out of the grooming primates engage in as a means of bonding. Instead of picking fleas off one another, we talk. And what makes better talk than other people, especially when fields like technology and even philosophy haven't yet advanced?
Dunbar also argues that without these discussions of social and personal issues, we wouldn't be able to sustain the societies that we do.
Most researchers, however, define gossip as any instance of talking about someone who isn't present and sharing information that isn't general knowledge.
Gossip is generally perceived as negative, hurtful rumors or tabloids that are an invasion of privacy.
About 15% of gossip is the negative kind, passing what researchers call "evaluative" judgment.
Of those 52 minutes, the average person covers 467 subjects, and three-quarters of that gossip is typically neutral and relatively boring, like documenting facts such as: "She's stuck late at work."
Gossip has also been attributed to lower classes along with women, but data has debunked this–gossip is equally present across genders and classes.
Positive gossip is, predictably, less common than negative gossip.
When you divulge information to a person, you're indicating that you trust that person with the information, which can be positive for a relationship.
Gossip can also be a great way to learn the unwritten rules of a setting. For instance, water cooler talk at a new job could help you figure out what is acceptable office attire, or who you want to avoid working with on a team project.
Scientists say gossip is purely harmful when it doesn't provide any opportunity for social learning. That includes rude comments about someone's appearance or comments that are untrue.
When a group gossips, the information and judgments shared could serve as a guideline for moral behavior. For example, if a group is gossiping about a slacker, any slackers in the group will try to adjust their behavior because they don't want to risk being gossiped about.
A positive effect of judgmental gossip provides cultural learning and compels people to behave better, but tread carefully. When someone’s reputation precedes them, for example, we know there has been gossip, but this can be either positive or negative depending on how it's done.
Neutral gossip actually helps us build friendships and a sense of community, as well as learn vital pieces of information that can help us shape our social lives.
While it’s clear why we might care about people we interact with regularly, those who social scientists label “socially important,” why do we care about famous people we’ve never met and probably will never meet?
Gossip also presents the opportunity to vent about people without damaging those social ties. Torres found that even when the elders' gossip seemed negative, it tended to also be thoughtful.
Knowing a lot of information about a person became a signal to our caveman brains that that person was important to us.
Sociology professor Stacy Torres studied gossip among elderly people living alone in New York City. Her research revealed that older people use gossip as a way to connect and combat loneliness.
That’s why you might feel empowered by a celebrity's actions. Or, in a more negative case, they could let you down. You can also feel competitive and start unhealthily comparing yourself to them, despite the fact that you know they’re not actually relevant to your life.
Now, in the modern age of information, we know a lot about people we’ve never met, thanks to the Internet and social media. Our brains are consequently tricked into thinking that celebrities are socially important to us.
One study even showed that we tend to gravitate toward celebrity gossip about people of the same gender and age group, as we feel more connected to them.
Those who gossip well know many things and are trusted to be discreet. They only share when the well-being of others is not on the line.
This form of pop culture gives people common conversational ground, and some researchers go so far as to suggest that keeping up with celebrity gossip is a social skill.
Bad gossipers indiscriminately spill the beans to anyone who will listen, or they have a clearly selfish agenda in which their gossip is aimed at damaging their rivals' reputations.
It can be quite dangerous to your social life, hurting relationships and sucking up time from things that will make you much happier. If it's getting out of hand, avoid situations where you know there will be gossip, as well as the people who tend to encourage it.
To thrive in the Stone Age, cave men had to know who was sleeping with whom, who held more power, who had access to resources, and so on to be successful.
The cave drawings we analyze now fall under the field of archaeology, but at its root it’s ancient gossip we’re looking at. It's people keeping track and alerting others of what’s going on.
Gossip is often understood as maliciously spreading information about other people, and a highly attractive part of celebrity culture. But social scientists beg to differ.
As it turns out, humans are actually hardwired to pay attention to, and participate in, gossip. And let's face it: whether it's by the water cooler at work or at family gatherings, we love to talk about people. But this tendency is actually an evolutionary adaptation. Don't get ahead of yourself, however, as there's a right and wrong way to spill the tea.
Check out this gallery to see how gossip began, evolved, became necessary, became dangerous, and some general guidelines to make sure you're doing it right.
Why do we love gossip? Here’s the science
It may not be as bad as you think!
LIFESTYLE Curiosity
Gossip is often understood as maliciously spreading information about other people, and a highly attractive part of celebrity culture. But social scientists beg to differ.
As it turns out, humans are actually hardwired to pay attention to, and participate in, gossip. And let's face it: whether it's by the water cooler at work or at family gatherings, we love to talk about people. But this tendency is actually an evolutionary adaptation. Don't get ahead of yourself, however, as there's a right and wrong way to spill the tea.
Check out this gallery to see how gossip began, evolved, became necessary, became dangerous, and some general guidelines to make sure you're doing it right.