By: Becca Hall [Online Editor] @chewwbecccaa
Sally just heard the juiciest piece of gossip, and even though she promised her friend she wouldn’t tell anyone- she needs to tell her closest friend. Telling one person won’t hurt, right? Wrong, because Sally’s best friend now thinks she needs to tell her boyfriend and the girls who sit next to her in class. The further down the gossip train this information gets, the less considerate each person is of the fact that the information is private. Now Sally’s friend’s secret is known by anyone and everyone, and they have the power to tell anybody they want to.
Many people get a thrill out of gossiping. When they get told shocking information they feel like they can’t keep it to themselves. They enjoy feeling powerful and “in the know” when they share the most recent news, and have no regard for the fact that it is not their information to tell.
When someone is told information about another person they need to take a second to evaluate how they would feel if gossip like that were to get out about them. It is fairly simple, if it is not that person’s information then they should not share it- especially if they were asked not to. Many people need to learn to be more considerate of others and their feelings before spilling out gossip that is private or may not even be true.