Gossipismorepowerfulthantruth,astudyshowedonMonday,suggestingpeoplebelievewhattheyhearthroughthegrapevineeveniftheyhaveevidencetothecontrary.
Researchers,testingstudentsusingacomputergame,alsofoundgossipplayedanimportantrolewhenpeoplemakedecisions,saidRalfSommerfeld,anevolutionarybiologistattheMaxPlanckInstituteinGermany,wholedthestudy.
"Weshowthatgossiphasastronginfluence……evenwhenparticipantshaveaccesstotheoriginalinformationaswellasgossipaboutthesameinformation,"theresearcherswroteintheProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences.
"Thus,itisevidentthatgossiphasastrongmanipulativepotential."
Inthestudy,theresearchersgavethestudentsmoneyandallowedthemtogiveittoothersinaseriesofrounds.Thestudentsalsowrotenotesabouthowothersplayedthegamethateveryonecouldreview.
Studentstendedtogivelessmoneytopeopledescribedas"nastymisers"or"scrooges"andmoretothosedepictedas"generousplayers"or"socialplayers,"Sommerfeldsaid.
"Peopleonlysawthegossip,notthepastdecisions,"hesaidinatelephoneinterview.
Theresearchersthentookthegameastepfurtherandshowedthestudentstheactualdecisionspeoplehadmade.Buttheyalsosuppliedfalsegossipthatcontradictedthatevidence.
Inthesecases,thestudentsbasedtheirdecisionstoawardmoneyonthegossip,ratherthanthehardevidence,Sommerfeldsaid.
"Rationallyifyouknowwhatthepeopledid,youshouldcare,buttheystilllistenedtowhatotherssaid,"hesaid.
Researchershavelongusedsimilargamestostudyhowpeoplecooperateandtheimpactofgossipingroups.Scientistsdefinegossipassocialinformationspreadaboutapersonwhoisnotpresent,Sommerfeldsaid.
Inevolutionaryterms,gossipcanbeanimportanttoolforpeopletoacquireinformationaboutothers'reputationsornavigatethroughsocialnetworksatworkandintheireverydaylives,thestudysaid.
Nowadays,rumorsareeverywhere.Somepeopleliketospreadrumors,whichcanhurtpeople'sfeelings.
Forexample,Ihaveagoodfriend.Oneday,someonetoldmethatmyfriendhadstolensomethinginthesupermarket.IwassoshockedandIaskedmyfriendaboutit.Shesaiditwasarumorandshehadneverdonesuchathing.IfeltsosorryandIknewhowmuchshewashurt.
Weshouldneverbelieveinrumors.Weshouldthinktwicebeforewespreadanyrumor.Weshouldunderstandthatitiswrongtospreadrumors.Weshouldalsotellothersnottospreadrumors.
Let'screateaharmonioussocietywithoutrumors!
NoonecanhavefailedtonoticethefactthatInternetrumorshavebeenagraveproblemconfrontingus.GroundlessallegationsfloodtheInternet.Takingalookaround,wecanfindexamplestoomanytoenumerate:scandalsofbothfamousandunknownpeople,fakeforecastofearthquakesandthelike.
Internetrumorswilldefinitelyresultinsevereconsequencesifwekeepturningablindeyetothem.Firstandforemost,made-upscandalsdirectlyinfringeuponcitizens'rights,affectingtheirdailylifeandruiningtheirpublicimage.Besides,thedisseminationofsuchrumorsasthoseaboutsocialornaturaldisasterscausespanicanddisorderamongsociety.Lastbutnotleast,thespreadofrumorsontheInternetwillunderminethecredibilityofthenettosuchadegreethatpeoplewillnolongertrustitinthefuture.
Giventheseriousnessofthisproblem,effectivestepsmustbeadoptedbeforethesituationdeteriorates.First,itisimperativethatlawsandregulationsbeenactedandexecutedtostoptheproductionandtransmissionofInternetrumors.Forinstance,real-namesystemshouldbeintroducedassoonaspossible.Secondly,peopleshouldbeeducatedtoidentifyandrejectgroundlessallegations.Withseverelawsandaconsciouspublic,itwillonlybeamatteroftimeforInternetrumorstobeeradicated.
Boyswilluseviolencewhensometimestheyhaveargumentwithothers.Mostboyshavegonethroughsuchviolence,whileforgirls,theychoosetouselanguageviolencetoattackthepeopletheydon'tlike.
Inhighschool,Icanalwaysheargirlsgossipaboutotherstudents.Themoretheytalk,themoreinformationtheyget.Buthereistheproblem,howcantheymakesureofthenewswithoutanyevidence.Themediahavereportedthenewsaboutsometeenagergirlskillthemselvesbecauseoftherumor.Theyaretooyoungtoprotectthemselvesandchoosetoendtheirlives.Butthisonlybringssuffertothepeopletheylove.
Thoughpeoplewon'tbepunishedbythelaw,theyareblameforthetragedy.Theonewhospreadstherumorislikethemurder.
Internetrumors
Givenisasimplebutthought-provokingremark:"itisunbelievableforpeopletobelievewhattheyshouldnotbelieve:Internetrumors."Obviously,thissayingcanbenaturallyassociatedwiththeseriousnessofrumors:ifweintendtohaveapositiveInternetenvironment,itisadvisabletoeliminate/refuserumors.
Incontemporarysociety,ithasbecomeatrendforindividualstosurftheInternetfortheinformationtheyneed.Meanwhile,anincreasingnumberofpeoplefinditratherdifficulttodistinguishthetruenewsfromrumors.SearchingtheInternet,wecannoticeagreatmanyexampleslikethis:falsenews,adsandpictures.Then,itistheserumorsthatleadthepublictobecheated,confusedandevenpanic.Asamatteroffact,expertsinlargenumbershavecometorealizetheimportanceofInternethonesty.
AsaregularInternetsurfer,Iamconvincedthatitisofgreatnecessityforgovernmenttopunishrumormakers.Accordingly,weshouldeducate,advocateandencourageourfriends,classmatesandacquaintancestorefusemakingandspreadingrumors.Sparingnoeffortstodoso,wewillwitnessahopefulandpromisingfutureofInternetlife.
IntheFaceofRumor
Inmyopinion,therumorsshouldbetreatedwitharightattitude.Wemusttakeitstruthorfalsehoodintoaccountwhentherearerumorsinthesociety.Iftherearesomerumorsaboutus,wemuststandupbravelytogiveastatementtothepeoplearoundus,becauserumorswouldchangesitscontentbywordofmouth.
Somepeoplethinkthatweshoulddefendourinnocencethroughtellingothersthetruthandgivingsomesolidevidence.Otherwise,wewillsufferhugestressorevenbeattackedbythepublic.
What'smore,theycan'tputupwiththeinformationthatmisleadsthepublic.
Othersbelievethatthereisnoneedtoexplain.Instead,keepingsilentmaybethebestmethodtobreakthoserumors.