Gossiping gets a bad rap, but psychology experts say it could actually benefit our mental health.
The activity can help "make meaning of our world and situations," according to Thea Gallagher, PsyD, director of wellness programs at NYU Langone Health.
"It can also help us be more informed about the intentions of others when we are sharing true information about what someone did or didn’t do," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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Gossiping can be helpful in terms of exposing certain behaviors of others so that people can protect themselves, Gallagher noted.
"Or if it’s something that someone is struggling with, like an ill parent, it can actually give us more empathy [so we can] be more compassionate."
Gossip can also help people process their feelings before reacting, Gallagher suggested.
"If you’re irritated at a friend and talk to another friend about it, you might actually be able to see the situation more clearly after you process it with someone," she said.
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The activity also offers a sense of bonding and connection with others, according to the expert.
"Human connection through shared information and communication is core to who we are and connects us to each other," she said. "We might feel closer to someone when we know they are confiding in us with information and vice versa."
"Just be careful not to jump to conclusions with little information," she cautioned.
Janet Bayramyan, licensed clinical social worker in Los Angeles, also weighed in on the mental health impact of gossip, noting that it’s regarded as "inherently negative."
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"In some cases, it certainly can be, but gossiping can also serve as a form of venting or emotional regulation," she told Fox News Digital.
"If someone has been wronged or is feeling confused by a social interaction, discussing it with a friend helps them process what happened, gain validation and potentially re-frame the experience."
Dr. Brian Licuanan, a board-certified clinical psychologist in California, agreed that gossiping can be beneficial by providing a "safe place to talk and connect."
"If someone is feeling alone, sad, rejected or mistreated, gossiping with others can create a commiseration that can help mitigate some of these emotions," he told Fox News Digital.
The act can create a "level of unity" among certain groups who may "feel like outsiders," Licuanan noted.
Experts also warned that gossiping can sometimes backfire.
"People may lose trust in the person who gossips, because the belief could be that if this person is gossiping about others, they are likely to be gossiping about you," Licuanan said.
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Overall, Licuanan said he considers gossip "unhealthy for the mind and spirit."
"This behavior can typically perpetuate emotions such as anger and resentment," he said. "The more a person engages in these behaviors outside of these emotions, the higher levels of stress they harbor — and, if done too much, this behavior can actually isolate them from others rather than bring them together."
For kids and teens in particular, gossiping can sometimes be used as a form of bullying, especially if the information is not true and is meant to hurt someone, Gallagher noted.
Those who initiate gossip that could have a malicious outcome should explore the motivation for gossiping in the first place, she suggested.
LiveCareer’s recent Office Gossip Survey of 1,000 U.S. workers revealed that workplace gossip is "widespread," as 58% of employees reported witnessing it weekly and one in three heard it daily.
Forty-seven percent of respondents said office gossip creates "tension and distrust." The same percentage said they don't trust anyone at work with confidential information.
The survey also found that 43% of respondents had been the subject of workplace gossip, and 20% admitted to spreading gossip that turned out to be false.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, career expert Jasmine Escalera commented that gossip in the workplace is driving company culture in a "negative direction."
"Workplace gossip is running rampant and taking a serious toll on office culture," said the Florida-based expert. "In a time of increased layoffs, burnt-out and disengaged employees, and increased economic uncertainty, we don’t need to add extra stressors to the mix."
"Gossip has a direct effect on workplace morale, erodes trust among coworkers, and can quickly lead to the onset of a toxic work environment," she added.
Bayramyan suggested that in uncertain social environments, including the workplace, gossip can "sometimes help people make sense of complex dynamics, which can provide a feeling of control and predictability."
"It's mainly important to make sure that gossip is not mean-spirited," she advised, warning that "chronic negative gossiping" can cause stress and impact mental health.
Licuanan echoed that workplace gossip can be problematic and sometimes job-threatening — "especially if [gossiping] is viewed as slander or is damaging to one’s reputation."
from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/ZeUkTOi
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