“OMG, OMG, did you hear that Marcus and Helena just broke up?” my friend Mina whispered as she tugged my sleeve.

“No way, give me the details, now,” I replied, and at that moment I knew that this would be the best lunch ever.

Gossip with friends is the best thing students can do during breaktime. When there is an awkward silence, there is always that one person who starts blurting out some gossip about what other classmates are up to.

Half the reason kids go to school is to hear the gossip

Math, physics, and chemistry are not interesting. However, hanging out with friends during break time is. Since we get to gossip with our friends at school, we are much more willing to get out of bed each day and go to class than we would be if gossip didn’t exist.

Gossip is like listening to a drama with daily updates. I can listen to different stories about so many people. Some topics are about new couples, while others are related to students acing their exams. There are so many different types of information that I feel it’s a collection of short stories.

Research shows that gossiping relieves stress. After a day of difficult classes and stressful exams, what students find most relaxing is a nice long chat with their friends about the juiciest gossip they have heard.

Gossip helps you make friends and develop trust

People feel that they are trusted when someone shares their secrets with them. For example, I feel that I’m closer to someone if they tell me who they have a crush on. Although not all gossip is secret, it is an exchange of personal information which helps people develop trust.

When gossiping with a group of friends, people might realize they feel the same way towards another classmate. For example, by gossiping with her friends, Mina may realize there are many people who also think Patty is a bully. Obviously, trash talking is not friendly, but finding similarities between yourself and others can help you make more friends.

According to NBC news, gossip is a social skill. When people exchange information, they are naturally forming a friend group that shares the same ideas. Following the same logic, as friends gossip with each other, they are included in a social group where everyone feels comfortable and trusted.

Gossip is not bullying

Most conversations between students feature gossip. However, most people also think gossip is bad. But gossip is really just talking about others. Gossip is not bullying and trash talking – if students are bullying others or talking trash, that’s different.

Gossip has the potential to be positive or negative. Students may talk about the genius classmates that get A+ in every subject, or plainly ask for information about a friend.

Bullying is different however, and rightly does not have a good reputation. Bullying is harming people and hating others, like by spreading rumors and ruining relationships. Obviously, there is a clear difference between gossiping and bullying.

Most people think gossip is wrong. However, once you draw the line between gossiping and trash talking or bullying, you will see why gossip deserves a better reputation. For most people, gossip is nothing more than an entertaining daily conversation among a group of friends.

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Authority figures tell students not to gossip or talk about other people. However, gossiping is the best entertainment for teens and it solves many social issues too. Gossip often makes its way into our conversations. There is always someone who wants to gossip about another classmate.

Even though gossip has a bad reputation, it offers unexpected benefits. If we all view gossip as a fun talk about people we know, it’s easy to understand why students find gossip so engaging. Standing in the hallway, huddling with your best friends, and whispering to one another is what students look forward to at school. So go ahead and gossip away.