HEY, you won't believe what we've just overheard! Apparently gossiping is actually good for you.
No, this isn't just a case of Chinese whispers. Researchers in Queensland have found that gossiping helps shape social behaviour.
The University of Queensland study found having a good old natter about bad behaviour can build bonds between people and help people develop a better understanding of their society's social norms.
Researchers studied gossiping between 65 pairs of university students after they watched one of a number of videos, including one where someone littered and one where someone picked up litter.
Kim Peters from the university's School of Psychology, who co-led the study, said on average those who watched the littering video gossiped twice as much as those who didn't.
"People who witnessed the littering were very likely to spontaneously gossip about it with one another," Dr Peters said.
"The more they gossiped about it, the more they reported a better understanding of social norms. They also expressed a greater desire to gossip about the behaviour."
She said the findings suggests our everyday gossip helps us build social bonds and develop a better understanding of the social groups and societies to which we belong.
Co-author Jolanda Jetten said gossip has a wider range of social consequences, as witnessed recently in the sexual harassment allegations in the American entertainment industry and the resulting #metoo stories on social media.
"Gossiping allows us to monitor the reputations of other people, and by learning about their behaviours we are in a better position to decide whether we should, or should not, trust them in the future," Professor Jetten said.
"The gossip about Harvey Weinstein has undoubtedly had negative consequences for him... but it may also have had consequences for all of us who participated in it."
"When investigating the consequences of deviance for social change, it is important to consider the essential role our daily gossip may play."
