Do you think gossip can be used for something good?
I firmly believe that gossip can be a positive thing. When we hear the word “gossip,” the first thing that
comes into our minds is that it is something negative since the word is usually associated with spreading
of fake rumors or made up stories about someone which have an intention to harm or put down the
person being gossiped about. However, that is not always the case. We tend to disregard the other
definitions of gossip which makes us forget that gossip can also be good when used properly. The
conversation is considered gossip once the person being talked about is not present in the conversation
being shared. Gossip can be good when the people gossiping are complimenting or praising the person
being talked about which could be beneficial to him/her. Additionally, gossiping gives us opportunity to
learn about our social environment from other people’s perspectives, share our own judgements upon
others, and compare how we view or assess others. But when we do so, we must keep in mind to set
moral boundaries and it should not do any harm to the person being talked about.
If no one had ever gossiped, how would school be different?
Even though gossip can be a positive thing, there’s still a possibility that the gossip is negative. For this
reason, I believe that without the existence of “gossip,” schools would have a safer and a healthier
environment for everyone. Furthermore, there would be no fear of being judged as they share their
thoughts, and everyone would be more encouraged to express themselves freely. As some people take
advantage of the absence of a person to bad-mouth about him/her, this increases the hesitation among
students to do whatever they want to do since they would be afraid to be also bad-mouthed which limits
their freedom of expression and capabilities. Through the absence of gossip, there would be a stronger
relationship between everyone in the school.
From my standpoint, using fake or alternative social media accounts do not violate the commandment on
truth. Instead, it provides us a safe space to be confident in expressing ourselves freely. This gives us the
opportunity to only choose the audience who can view its contents without being afraid of judgements,
discrimination, or criticism from others. Honestly, I think that it encourages us to be sincere and show our
true selves. I personally know some people who use fake or alternative social media accounts, and this is
where they post what they truly feel which shows their vulnerable side. However, in using social media
such accounts, we must be mindful of what we post and only stick with the truth. Using fake or alternative
accounts only violate the commandment on truth when we show immoral behavior or spread fake rumors
and lies through it that may be harmful to someone. But, if an individual merely uses it to express their
real emotions and feelings, it actually complies with the commandment on truth.