Cybergossip and its Psychological Perspective

Description

Page: 396-400

Arun Khanduja, Monika Bargujjar, and Rakesh Kumar Behmani (Department of Applied Psychology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Haryana)

Cybergossip and gossip hold their place in social interactions with positive and negative impacts. Gossip is a worldwide phenomenon that affects all socially active people. Despite the frequent differences in its use, men and women both feel driven to engage in gossip as a means of expressing their feelings, exchanging information, and gaining support. The two faces of human contact are face-to-face gossip and online gossip. Cybergossip is defined as the act of two or more persons communicating negatively about someone who is not present, using digital technology. The difference between the two is that whereas one is constrained by time and space and has an influence on a small number of people, whereas cybergossip engages many known and unknown people simultaneously irrespective of time and space, and has an endless impact. The social group in which this cyber activity happens gets impacted, which can improve social ties and social support, as well as lead to an increase in cyberbullying, cyber victimization, isolation, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and self-deception. The need is to take care of different components and effects of cyber gossip on society.