Gossip has a bad reputation. We associate it with judgment, rumors, betrayal and talking behind someone’s back.
But what if gossip is actually a fundamental part of being human?
In this episode of Shadow Playground, Ez Bridgman sits down with social psychologist and gossip researcher Frank McAndrew to explore why humans are so fascinated by other people’s lives, and why our instinct to gossip may have played an important role in our survival.
Frank shares an evolutionary perspective on gossip, explaining how our ancestors relied on social information to understand who could be trusted, who might pose a threat and how to navigate the unwritten rules of their communities.
Together, Ez and Frank explore the difference between good gossip and bad gossip, why sharing information can create intimacy and trust, how gossip helps groups enforce social norms, and why knowing that others may talk about us can actually influence us to behave differently.
They also discuss our fascination with celebrity gossip, schadenfreude, social competition, gossip in the age of social media, and the point at which talking about someone should become talking to them.
Rather than asking whether we should gossip at all, this conversation invites a different question:
How can we become more conscious of why, when and how we gossip?
Frank McAndrew is a social psychologist whose research explores gossip, evolutionary psychology and human social behavior. He has spent decades studying why we care so deeply about what other people are doing and the role social information plays in relationships, communities and group life.
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