Do Your Friends Talk About You?

Um, yes. Let me ask you this: do you talk about your friends? Um, yes. Meet "prosocial gossip," which is, in essence, talking smack for the good of the community. I know it sounds like a betrayal but airing concerns about a pal to another pal has its merits. First of all, you may be passing along useful information like, "She's always late. Don't take it personally." Secondly, the mere act of venting may help you work out a petty issue and strengthen your bond with another friend. (Just be sure that your connection is not solely grounded in talking about someone else.) On the flip side, knowing we all gossip propels us to do better. Meaning, we know everyone will talk about us in a negative light if we act like jerks. Fascinating fact: according to a recent UCLA study, we spend about 52 minutes per day gossiping and 85% of the information we "share" is actually neutral, rather than mean-spirited. Go ahead, talk about me. I'm cool with it.

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