There are different types of gossip. There are gossip that are catty and petty where it would talk about somebody's appearance behind their backs, but there are also gossip that can affect us positively and help validate our emotions in order to figure out where other people stand on things. 

Researchers have found that people gossip an average of 52 minutes per day!

Gossip is mainly seen as something negative, but it's also been proven that not all gossip is salacious. It's all really about information gathering.

Gossip allows us to have all sorts of information about other people and with this bears the knowledge that hearing about it gives us a sudden jolt.

Negative gossip, according to research, made the listeners feel superior to the person being gossiped about. It gives them a self-esteem boost but it also makes the listeners feel more vulnerable to similar treatments. Meanwhile, listening to flattering gossip gives listeners ideas on how to improve themselves to become more like the person being gossiped about.