I’ve done it, you’ve done it, your best friend’s ex-boyfriend has done it. We have all at one point or another spread some kind of gossip. While these seemingly small pieces of information only take a few seconds of your day to share, the fact that gossiping has become such a day-to-day societal norm demonstrates an intrinsic issue within our culture.
We live in a world where magazines and T.V. shows make money off of the celebrities they bash. Yes, when there is a picture of a famous reality star on the cover of a magazine with a headline saying she looks pregnant, it does makes for higher sales. But what is the real cost of all of this? Half of what we hear in pop culture media is not even true. We buy into it all in order to see how horrible someone else’s life is at the moment or to laugh at how bad they look in a swimsuit. Who are we to judge? And who are we to think it is ok to say things about people without their knowledge or consent, just in order to have something to talk about?
I know magazines and gossip shows will never be eradicated completely. People like to talk about other people. And maybe you could even make the argument that when celebrities put themselves in such a public light, they should be prepared for the additional attention. However, when it starts to become hurtful and just plain mean, it has gone too far.
Bashing celebrities is one thing, but when we start to turn to our everyday lives and to the people around us for sources of gossip and rumor, we begin to lose sight of what actually matters. Problems arise when we begin to think it is acceptable to say negative things about others without their knowledge, just because we think it will be funny or it will make us more likable. Spreading rumors and gossiping about other people’s personal lives is not ok. If the roles were reversed, how would we feel if we were the ones being talked about? The very act of spreading the gossip demonstrates a lack of honesty in the person spreading it. What is there to gain from embarrassing another person? It will not make us feel better about ourselves. It will not solve all of our own problems. All it does is distract us from being the best and most sincere versions of ourselves we can be.
Again, like every other person, I have spread my fair share of gossip over time. I do not pretend to be faultless. I am simply saying that I recognize the need for a change. I realize that the culture of gossiping is not going to fully fix itself any time soon and I accept that. However, it is important to think about the consequences of our actions before we spread that next piece of news. Maybe it could really hurt someone. Everyone has issues in their lives that they struggle with. Why do we feel like it is ok to add to their burdens?
