Love Kura Katnu? Study Reveals An Hour of Gossip A Day Has Social Benefits

Gossip or ‘Kura Katnu’ – defined as the exchange of personal information about absent third parties – has got a bad rap, thought to be indulged in by people who have nothing better to do. But a recent study from Stanford and the University of Maryland suggests that gossiping might not be as harmful as commonly believed, and in fact, might have positive aspects. 

In 2019, a study found that people spend around an hour each day gossiping about others. The main reason behind gossiping, as per a recent study, is to help individuals understand their surroundings better. 

Previously, theories had hinted that gossiping could bring large groups of people together and encourage cooperation. The new study by Stanford and the University of Maryland now delves deeper, demonstrating that gossip serves multiple purposes. It spreads useful information about people’s reputations, helps individuals identify social connections, strengthens bonds, and promotes communication among peers.

To understand the intricate networks of gossip, the research team employed an evolutionary game theory model which simulated human decision-making processes, allowing the researchers to observe how their virtual study subjects, referred to as agents, interacted with each other. 

The study found that gossip plays a crucial role in sharing information about people’s reputations.

Additionally, when people want to know if someone is good to interact with, getting information from gossip can be helpful.

Once individuals have this information, they can find other cooperative people to interact with, which benefits the group as a whole. 

However, there’s a catch – the information needs to be honest and true. 

But ultimately, according to author Xinyue Pan, both positive and negative gossip is important because “gossip plays an important role in sharing information about people’s reputations.” 

Well, one thing is for sure, whether you like or dislike gossip – it’s here to stay.