Cybertalk: Gossip

Group, Jul/Aug 2003

Each issue, CyberTalk prints what kids are talking about on the Internet and offers discussion questions for small groups.

RedQueen514-My opinion on gossip is that it depends on your opinion of what gossip is. Me and my friends use gossip to mean: who's going out with whom or when's the next party we can go to. It's like a news reporter who reports news. I think gossiping about people's private lives or sensitive subjects is wrong.

Asheley6789-I like gossip. It's fun to know what's going on, and I don't care if people talk about me. Since everyone knows my business anyway, it's no use trying to stop them from talking. Gossip if it's mean and made up isn't fun, though.

Riddlyn1091-Gossip is unstoppable, but you should try to avoid it whenever it's possible.

Matchbox'1881-I don't know anyone that would want someone saying something mean, untrue, or rude about them behind their back to everyone except them. I would rather have someone say something to my face than have them tell everyone behind my back.

Lily0123-I gossip to my best friends... I'm not telling lies, though, and I'm not being rude, I'm informing them on the facts, not my opinions. But, yeah, I do tell them about what I think about people and stuff, but those people know I don't like them, so it's not like it's a surprise. So, in this case, gossiping isn't harming anyone, it isn't telling untrue things, and it isn't being rude behind the person's back.

QTGyrl00S-I do think that gossiping is harmful because someone started to gossip about me (really bad stuff), and then the gossip got around the whole school and my reputation was over. . . It took one whole year to get my reputation back, so don't gossip because it's wrong and hurtful!

Angelbabe-Everyone gossips at some point in their lives, you really can't avoid it. I don't really see anything wrong with normal gossiping, like who's dating who and junk like that. But I think that when you gossip about someone's sexual life. . . that's when the real problems arise.

Karlabird31-Gossip is gossip no matter what the topic. Why talk about someone else? There's no point. It leads to bigger things, and the person ends up really hurt. So think about how you would feel.

Small-Group Discussion Questions: Do you think all gossip is harmful? Why or why not? How difficult would it be for you to completely stop participating in gossip? Read aloud Matthew 12:36-37. Does all gossip fall into the category of "careless" words? Why or why not? How do you feel knowing that you'll have to give an accounting for every careless word you've spoken? What other consequences does gossip have for those who indulge in it?