Are we hard wired for gossip?

[Javaman]

The explosion then refining of the "reality TV" phenom is truly amazing.

But how was it born?

My theory: as we become more disconnected from those immediately around us via electronic means, we resort to tv for our fix of "human contact/gossip".

In the dark ages before "Survivor" hit the tube, people, neighbors, co-workers would "dish and gab" about this and that.

Talking at the "cooler" at work, the ride home on the bus or subway, over the fence to a neighbor, etc.

But honestly, unless you make a real effort, how many of you out there know your neighbors? I'm not talking about, "oh that's Fred..." and that's it. Do you know what Fred does for a living? His hobbies? Could you depend upon Fred if you needed help, real help?

When I was a kid, my parents knew everyone. I knew everyone. And they knew us.

My mom and dad would spend hours on the weekend, just chatting with the neighbors. Why? To get the latest neighborhood gossip and to commune as humans.

Where my parents nosy? No, it was part of being part of your neighborhood and looking out for each other. And from time to time petty arguments would erupt, but were usually forgotten a week later.

"Hey, can I barrow a whatever?" or "Mrs. So and so, do you have blah blah blah?"

And while asking for that favor or object, it would lead to, "did you hear?" And the communing would begin.

What is my point? Frankly, I don't know. It just seems to me, that as we become more electronically connected, we lose the human connection. Sure people, twitter, facebook, email, text, etc. and that certainly could be looked at as connecting, but the look of the eye, the facial expression, off hand shrug is gone. The look of "what is not said" is gone.

But yet we still get our gossip, but from TV. However, it now comes from peoples lives whom we feel at ease making fun of and criticizing. And we take personal offense when they do something "controversial" as if we know them.

That, to me, is the strangest part of it all. Why take offense? It's as if they personally insulted us? Would you react this same way if it were a good friend or neighbor? Or would you be more understanding?

It really is an interesting concept.

[StarburstClock]

1. Yes, it's largely due to 100 years of propaganda

People discuss what they think is in the news whether it has any base in reality or not.

[WatsonT]

9. You don't think neighbors gossiped prior to 1911?

I find that risible.

[Fumesucker]

2. "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people".

-Eleanor Roosevelt

[Javaman]

4. We are a nation of small minds. nt

[damntexdem]

3. That's what I've been told by a trusted source.

;-)

[hfojvt]

5. I certainly have always been disconnected

and it does seem like my parents were more tied in. But that's me as a borderline aspie and with no spouse to hook up with other spouses.

It reminds me somewhat of Fahrenheit 451 and the fireman's wife with her walls of people, but I still think that, popular as they may be, most people are not watching Survivor or American Idol. Millions do, yes, but far more millions do not. If you think about it, though, something like MASH or Happy Days is much the same thing, only with more interesting and perhaps more didactic plots. TV stations have taken to reality shows, because, as I understand it, they are much cheaper to make. Instead of paying writers and the stars of Friends over $500,000 per episode, you can basically get ordinary saps to do it for a chance to win $30,000.

I think it is interesting to note that DU seems to be mostly about gossip. It's all about people - Romney, Palin, Bachmann, Bush, Rove, Kochs, etc. and much, much less about issues.

[Javaman]

7. You make an interesting point with your last comment...

about DU mostly being gossip. I think you are right.

I also think that that concept could be, for the most part, expanded to most forum type internet sites such as DU.

This is where I fault myself for not going into sociology. I think a study of this phenomenon would be fascinating.

Maybe there already has been a study. I have to do a little more research.

[cali]

6. yes, it's the human equivalent of "grooming behavior"

[WatsonT]

8. Yes.

Our minds developed to a large extent to deal with increasingly complex social interactions. Being able to understand how others think and use that was extremely beneficial to our ancestors.

One of the offshoots of that is being extremely interested in the minutia of what everyone else is doing.