What is a rumor and what is gossip?
¡A piece of information or a story that
has not been verified, meaning that the person telling it
doesn’t know if it’s true or false
Why do people spread rumors and gossip?
¡Too feel superior
–
When people are feeling bad about themselves, they sometimes think they’ll feel
better if there was someone worse off
¡Too feel like part of the group
– If
everybody else is gossiping or spreading rumors, you might feel you have to do
the same thing to fit in
¡For attention
–
When you know a secret that nobody knows or are the first person in your group
to hear a rumor, it can make you the center of attention
¡For control or power
–
Certain people always want to be in control and at the top of the ladder
¡Out of jealousy or a need for revenge
– If you’re jealous of someone’s looks,
popularity, or money, you might gossip about that person in order to hurt them
¡Out of boredom
–
Did you know that in many studies, this was the #1 reason why young people say
they spread rumors?!
What should you do if you hear a rumor?
¡Make the rumor stop with you
If you decide that the rumor is hurtful,
do not
spread it
¡Don’t be the audience
When someone comes to you with a rumor,
try not to be the audience
¡Be a peacemaker
If one of your friends wants to hurt
someone by spreading
lies or rumors, speak up
¡Respect others’ privacy
If you don’t want other people talking
about your personal life, don’t talk about theirs
¡Get the facts
Don’t pass on information that may not be
true
Be kind!
For more information, please see "It's My Life," PBS Kids Go: http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/rumors/index.html
