(Washington Stand) Gossip is no longer seen as something to be ashamed of, something to avoid. Once a taboo, it’s now an accepted pastime. Open up Instagram or scroll through TikTok and you’ll see millions of girls uploading videos titled “Get ready with me while I tell you about my friendship break-up, why I don’t talk to my parents, my crazy ex,” etc. etc. Or self-proclaimed internet sleuths explain their theories of different popular events promising to tell you “what really happened.” Videos of people stringing together events and names that may or may not prove their theories but at the very least “makes you think.”
The problem? These fun gossipy stories seem harmless enough but bleed into real peoples’ lives. Not only can slander ruin real people’s reputations, but gossip is also harmful for the person consuming and creating it.