Gossip gets a bad rap. Sure, it can be juvenile or even toxic. But it can also be the best thing for employees to use to learn new info or simply navigate the workplace.
Elena Martinescu studies the psychology of gossiping at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and overall Elena says it’s good. It’s something that humans have forever to “facilitate co-operation in a group.” So in a way, refusing to gossip is like rejecting our heritage.And who are we to do that?
Gossip simply isn’t the endless roasting that movies make it out to be. Studies show more than three-quarters of it isn’t positive or negative, but neutral. The vast majority of it is just passing along info like‘I heard Todd is getting a new car.’ Even when gossip gets less boring than this, it’s probably for a good reason. Martinescu says “gossip can warn people about dangerous others and help build social bonds.”
Source:BBC