Gossip and rumors spreading faster than ever

Cali Weigert, Intro Reporter|October 8, 2014

Before instant messaging, information was spread by mouth. Texts are one of the fastest ways to communicate with social groups these days. “At the tip of the texting thumbs, many things are said that shouldnt be,” Alyssa Francis, junior, said.

Before instant messaging, information was spread by mouth. Texts are one of the fastest ways to communicate with social groups these days. “At the tip of the texting thumbs, many things are said that shouldn’t be,” Alyssa Francis, junior, said.

If you listen carefully in the halls of any high school, you can hear the quiet, steady creaking of the rumor mill. Gossip and rumors are always present in high school, but just when does gossip become a form of bullying?

In this day and age, most high school students have cell phones, email accounts, Facebook profiles or some form of digital communication at their fingertips. Messages can be sent in seconds and never retracted. This makes it easier to keep up with the latest gossip. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gossip as information about the behavior and personal lives of other people.

In high school, gossip runs rampant, yet the only people that know the whole story are those being talked about. “You don’t know the veracity of what someone is telling you,” Mr. Bill Woessner, school psychologist, said. Gossip can have seriously detrimental effects on students, both emotionally and academically.

Also, what most students do not realize is that once rumors reach a certain point, they can become a form of bullying. Countless students at Homestead believe that gossip is not acceptable and should be stopped. “I think it’s something that needs to change here. Treat others the way you want to be treated,” Alyssa Francis, junior, said.

Many students know that there is no miracle resolution to the problem; however, Mr. Woessner gives advice on how to shut down gossip and rumors in a comfortable manner. “You could say to your friends: ‘if you’re not involved in it why are you talking about it… That’s not cool.’”

If all the Homestead students were to band together to try to monitor what they discuss with their friends, the effect would be greater than imagined. “Gossip and rumors are at the core of all high school dramas,” Grishma Reddy, senior, conceded. “I am just extremely cautious on filtering through the things I hear at school.”

So when you hear the creaking of the rumor mill, remember that Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

Before instant messaging, information was spread by mouth. Texts are one of the fastest ways to communicate with social groups these days. “At the tip of the texting thumbs, many things are said that shouldn't be,” Alyssa Francis, junior, said.
Before instant messaging, information was spread by mouth. Texts are one
of the fastest ways to communicate with social groups these days. “At the tip of the
texting thumbs, many things are said that shouldn’t be,” Alyssa Francis, junior, said.