As human beings, we live in a social environment where being up-to-date with the happenings around us is an important survival tactic. But such information is not posted on walls or notice boards. We need to get it through the infamous method of gossiping. Though gossiping is usually treated as a harmful conversation that spreads rumors, healthy gossip is just a piece of useful information that everyone enjoys. Though girls are stereotyped as the gossip queens, it is surprising that guys are nothing less and play a more significant role in gossiping and rumor-mongering.
Gossip – Is it Good or Bad?
Gossip is a casual talk about a person who is not part of the conversation. As information shared in such discussions is not fully verified, the views shared mostly convert into rumors. Not all gossip is malicious; it can be useful too. The opinions shared in gossip can be positive, negative, or neutral. When people hear the term “gossip,” it is mainly associated with women, but this myth is not valid. Everyone gossips! If someone thinks that they do not gossip, then they have not spoken about a famous personality or public figure just because those people were not present during the conversation. Such a situation is unlikely because we tend to talk about our favorite actor, actress, or sports personality. As gossip involves a lot of talking, extroverts tend to gossip more often than introverts.
Busting the Stereotype that Girls Gossip More than Guys
Often men’s gossip goes unnoticed as they indulge in it under the pretext of “networking,” “keeping in touch,” “expressing an opinion,” or “venting out.” As per studies, men seemed to spend 30% more time gossiping than women. Studies also suggested that men share confidential information within three hours, whereas women can hold on to that crucial information for another 40 minutes. Thanks to social media, information can be broadcast with the click of a button. Survey results indicate that 33% of men engage in mobile gossip every day compared to 26% of women.
According to a study from the University of California, Riverside, men engage in negative gossip as often as women do. Another survey states that men have a shorter attention span at work than women and tend to take frequent coffee breaks that eventually end up in gossiping sessions.
As per another survey conducted by the global research company, OnePoll, men seemed to spend 76 minutes a day gossiping with their friends or colleagues compared to only 52 minutes spent by women.
Reasons Why Guys Tend to Gossip More Than Girls
A study conducted by the Western Canadian Undergraduate University showed that men loved to gossip to get closer to their friends. Talking, or rather gossiping, about common interest topics such as sports and politics brings men closer and leads to a longer relationship between friends. For guys, gossiping is also a means of showing superiority, gaining attention, and thus establishing a monopoly in a gathering. Men also gossip to feel part of the gang and have a sense of being involved and accepted.
Topics that Men Like to Gossip About
Guys’ gossip topics are quite in contrast to what women gossip about. Women gossip about physical appearances, fashion, relationships, popular TV soaps, and children. Men find their interest in gossiping about who is next in line for a promotion, office politics, salary hikes, and any other exciting office rumors. And, not to forget their favorite topics like sports, college and high school friends, the latest car in the market, and their all-time favorite subject, the latest gadgets in town.
Conclusion
Let us accept that everyone gossips as it gives them a sense of power and authority of owning a secret piece of information that interests everyone. People indeed have different motives while gossiping, whether it is beneficial or detrimental to the listener or the person being talked about. Guys seem to race past girls in terms of gossiping, and scientific studies and surveys have proved the same. Irrespective of who does the gossiping, rumors are what they end up in. So, let us remember that “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” even if it is gossip.
Questions:
- What is guys’ gossip commonly mistaken as?
Guys’ gossip is commonly mistaken for networking and keeping-in-touch conversations. They gossip more than women, but the topics they generally talk about are not considered gossip. - Who gossips negatively: guys or girls?
According to a study from the University of California, Riverside, guys participate in negative gossip as frequently as girls do. So, one cannot say for sure who does it more. - Why do guys gossip more at work?
Guys have a comparatively short span of attention at work. They, therefore, tend to take more frequent breaks that turn into gossip sessions.
- What are the different categories of gossip?
The different categories of gossip are: Positive, negative, and neutral.
- What are the topics that guys gossip about?
Some of the topics that guys gossip about include sports, country politics, salary, promotions at work, gadgets, automobiles, office politics, etc.
