ONE OUT OF EVERY SEVEN THINGS YOU SAY IS GOSSIP

There’s no amount of social distancing that can keep us from our one true love:  Talking about other people behind their backs.

A new study out of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire found that about 14% of our conversations every day are gossip, even today, with lots of conversations happening over Zoom.  That means one out of every seven things you say is gossip.

But, the research found not all gossip is necessarily BAD.  Most of our gossip isn’t negative, it’s neutral.  And that’s because most of the time, our goal with gossip isn’t to put someone down, it’s just to bond and connect with other people.

The researchers say, “By exchanging information with others, gossip is a way of forming relationships.  It involves trust and facilitates a social bond.”