Gossip And Rumors Did You Hear Gossip And

Gossip And Rumors: Did You Hear?

Gossip And Rumors You hear a juicy tidbit from a friend, who heard it from another friend, who heard it from a person in the hall, who read it on a note passed in math class, which was written by somebody who probably just made it up. Sometimes, this is harmless, but at other times it can be very hurtful to individuals, friendships, and whole groups of people. Did you know that spreading rumors about someone is a form of bullying? Yep.

Gossip And Rumors Let's talk about what rumors and gossip really are, why people circulate them, and how you can stop them from doing damage to you and the people you care about. We'll start by looking at What The Words Mean. So what ARE rumors, exactly? Is there a difference between a rumor and a piece of gossip?

Gossip And Rumors Well, this is what characterizes a rumor: � A rumor is a piece of information or a story that has not been verified, meaning that the person telling it doesn't know if it's true or false. � Rumors spread from person to person, or can spread from one person to a whole bunch of people at once. � Rumors can change slightly each time they're told, so they get more exaggerated over time. � Most people who spread rumors don't care if the story is true of not, and don't bother to check it out. � A rumor might be true, it might be partially true and partially made up, or it might be totally made up. Unless somebody can definitely say that a story is real or fake, it will stay a rumor.

Gossip And Rumors Here's a good example of a rumor: "I heard that anybody who fails the next history test is going to have to repeat the course over the summer. "

Gossip And Rumors Gossip, on the other hand, is a little different: � Gossip is talk that is somehow "juicy, " meaning it deals with subjects that are shocking or personal. � Gossip is usually about things like love and relationships, or private things that people don't talk openly about. � Gossip about a person is usually spread behind that person's back. � Gossip can be true, false, or a rumor. � When a piece of gossip is known to be false, it's a lie, plain and simple. � Someone who spreads a lot of gossip can be called "a gossip. " � If a piece of gossip about somebody is true, it can still be very hurtful because that information may be private and personal.

Gossip And Rumors Here's an example of gossip: "Jane told me that when she tried to ask Craig out to a movie, he got so nervous that he almost fainted!"

Gossip And Rumors Now that we've handled the definitions, let's take a closer look at the Different Types of gossip and rumors. Not all types of rumors and gossip are alike, and some can be more hurtful and damaging than others.

Gossip And Rumors Slander � Slander is when people spread rumors or lies about a person in order to purposely cause pain or damage. Maybe they want to see this person humiliated or turn others against him or her. They make up lies or pass on embarrassing rumors that probably aren't true. � Most of the time, we only hear the word "slander" associated with adult conflicts, but it applies to young people as well. � When slander is in written form, it's called libel. You've probably heard lots of stories about celebs suing tabloid newspapers because the papers have published libel against them. The celebs usually win! � Slander is one of the most dangerous types of rumors, because the whole point is to hurt somebody. � An example: "Teresa is a big cheat. She cheats off anyone she sits next to, so don't ever sit near her. " This is hurtful to Teresa because not only is she being accused of doing something against the rules, her friends may stop sitting with her in class.

Gossip And Rumors Dishing �You may hear people say, "Give me the dish!" or "Let's dish the dirt!" Dishing is another word for gossiping, and a kind of general spreading of rumors and gossip that people don't usually think twice about. �It's a little different than slander, because most of the time, people don't dish with the aim of causing someone pain and humiliation. However, sometimes it does just that. �An example: "I asked Jenny what it was like to hold Andrew's hand, and she said it was all clammy and sweaty. " This was probably an innocent question and answer driven by curiosity, but if it gets back to Andrew, he'll feel totally embarrassed!

Gossip And Rumors Fears or Concerns �Many rumors tap into people's common fears, and this makes them sound true even though they usually are not. �These are often rumors that involve threat of physical danger, the unknown and unfamiliar, and things that are gross or way-out weird. �An example: "I hear that the cafeteria meatloaf is made from rats they catch in the school basement. "

Gossip And Rumors Jokes or Wild Stories �Sometimes rumors start out as silly jokes, then get spread around and changed over and over again. When lots of people are telling the same tale, it makes it seem more like the truth. You might think, "How can all these people be wrong? " �When these rumors last long enough and spread far enough, they actually become part of our culture, often called "Urban Legends, " "Modern Legends, " or "Urban Myths. " �An example: "Did you hear that when it's halftime at the Super Bowl, water supplies across the U. S. get used up? It's because of all the people going to the bathroom at the same time!"

Gossip And Rumors Misinformation �Many rumors are just about people getting things wrong, or believing in exaggerations. Often people will swear up and down that they know something to be true when, in reality, they're just passing on a rumor they've heard from someone. �An example of a rumor that's just misinformation: "I heard that it's okay to drive five miles an hour above the speed limit. The police can't give you a ticket unless you go faster than that. " For the record, this is not true. The speed limit is the speed limit, but this rumor is so widespread that people often use it as an excuse with police officers who are writing them speeding tickets!

Gossip And Rumors Cyber-Gossip � If you've ever heard something juicy in an online chat room or in an IM from a friend, you know that the Internet has made it easy to spread a rumor to lots of people with lightning-fast speed. "Cyber-gossip" can involve any of the other types mentioned here. � It's easy for people to feel less responsible when starting a rumor online, especially if they're able to do it anonymously. Remember that starting a rumor this way, or passing it on, can be even more damaging than if it's done in person because of how many eyes it can reach in a short period of time. � A hurtful rumor that's spread through cyber-gossip should be taken just as seriously as any other kind of rumor.

Gossip And Rumors Why Do People Do It? �Let's say you've just heard a REALLY juicy rumor about someone you know. It may not be true, but it's too good to keep to yourself. Your first instinct is to hop online and IM it to all your friends.

Gossip And Rumors We've all had that kind of urge. But why? Here are some possible reasons: • To feel superior • To feel like part of the group • For attention • For control or power • Out of jealousy or a need for revenge • Out of boredom

Gossip And Rumors Next, lets look at Why It Hurts & Why It's Wrong There are many reasons why that rumor can be so harmful: �Words hurt as much as a punch �Gossip and rumors can be a form of exclusion �Gossip and rumors can destroy trust �True or not, private is private �Believing rumors can lead to bad choices

Gossip And Rumors Once you understand the damage they can do, how do you go about Breaking The Chain of rumors and gossip? You can change what happens when a rumor comes your way. Decide whether it's hurtful or harmless. When you hear something about someone you know and have the urge to pass it on, don't think about whether it's true or not. Instead, ask yourself these questions: � Why do I want to pass this on? � Would I want people to know this kind of information � about me? � How will this person feel if he or she knew this rumor was being spread? � Will this rumor reduce this person's status or make him or her excluded from the group? � Your answers will help you figure out the right thing to do.

Gossip And Rumors Make the rumor stop with you �If you decide that the rumor is hurtful in some way, make a stand. Decide that you don't want to take part in spreading it. Others may continue to circulate the gossip, but you've made a personal choice to stay out of it. Chances are that the rumor will die out much more quickly than if you had joined the buzz. Don't be an audience �When someone comes to you with a rumor, try not to be an audience. This person may want to hurt somebody, or may be after attention or power. It can be hard to resist hearing some juicy dish, especially if you're bored, but make an effort to say, "I'm not interested in hearing mean gossip, thanks. "

Gossip And Rumors Just like with physical bullying, there are no "innocent bystanders" with hurtful rumors. Hearing and reacting to the rumor, and letting it continue, makes you almost as responsible for its damage as the person who started it. Instead, don't provide another pair of ears for the rumor-starter. Be a peacemaker � If one of your friends wants to hurt someone else by spreading lies or rumors, speak up. Let your friend know that this isn't the right thing to do. If you need to, find another friend who feels the same way and talk to the others together. If rumors are getting out of control and someone is being made a real victim, get a counselor or teacher involved. Respect others' privacy � If you don't want other people talking about the personal things in your life, don't do it to others. When you hear personal information about a classmate or friend, try to keep it to yourself, and don't worry about whether it's true or not. If you respect people's privacy, they'll be more likely to do the same for you. Get the facts � Most of the time, you should try to ignore gossip and rumors. But if you hear a rumor about something important, and it doesn't sound too crazy or farfetched, ask a teacher, guardian, or parent what they think. If it's a modern legend that you find interesting, you can try searching on the Web to see if it's been proven fake or not. But remember not to believe everything you read, even on the Web!

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