Spill the TEA, Not the HURT

Today we are going to talk about gossip. Gossip is when we talk about other people, and we all do it - sometimes for a long time! In fact, some studies say that middle school students gossip for an average of 33  minutes a day. Can you believe that?

There are a lot of people who gossip, too. Sometimes it's about good things, and sometimes it's about bad things. Good gossip can be like when we talk about how great someone is or how much we love our class. We might talk about how kind and loving someone's family is, or how much fun we had with our friends over the weekend. According to a Study by the Journal on Youth and Adolescence, the majority of gossip in middle school is neutral or positive in nature, and only a small percentage is negative.

But sometimes, gossip can get really interesting - and not in a good way. Sometimes, it can become really personal, and that's when it can get really bad. When gossip becomes personal, it can hurt people's feelings and cause a lot of problems. Another study published found that middle school girls engage in gossip more than boys. The study also showed that gossip among girls is almost always about relationships, physical appearance, and social status. Boys, on the other hand, might gossip more about sports, video games, and entertainment.

Hey, so sometimes gossip can be super juicy and interesting, but not always in a good way. It can get really personal and that's when it can get really bad. 

When gossip becomes too personal, it can hurt people's feelings and cause a lot of problems. So, even though it's okay to talk about good things and share happy news, it's really important to remember to be kind and respectful when talking about other people.