What is gossip and how can it help us become healthier? Discover the positive side!

Gossip can have negative connotations, but researchers say that people who gossip feel better and may be healthier than those who don't. What is the answer to the question, what is gossip?

Many blame gossip or "negotiation" as a form of socialization that people practice. Researchers have concluded that gossip may also have psychological benefits.

In a study published in 2021 in the journal Current Biology, researchers designed a game in which multiple participants worked together to achieve a goal without seeing how their opponents were doing. This game forced them to express their opinions about what was happening within the opposing team, as well as in the social environment.

At the end of the game, it was found that participants who talked to each other about the other team were able to connect more easily: “(Gossip) builds trust and helps form social bonds. Gossip can be seen as an exchange of information that builds relationships,” one of the study authors said, Best Life reported.

What is gossip and what other benefits does it bring?

However, this form of socialization could benefit us more. unless it's done with malicious intent, experts say. Psychologists say that gossip helps us improve our mood and indirectly our mental state, as well as practice our empathy:

“Gossip can make us feel like we have high social status because we have valuable information that others are also looking for,” the psychologist notes. “You no longer feel isolated and your mood and mental state improve,” says Dr. Faisal Tay. “Gossip gives us the opportunity to practice empathy as we try to understand how others act in different situations,” notes another expert.

So stop blaming your girlfriends if others talk behind her back! You better follow their example because this habit can benefit you. It all depends on how you do it!