Gossip is as old as the human language itself.

Early Homo sapiens likely developed gossip as a survival tool, using it to share crucial information about trust, danger, and social dynamics. Tribes exchanged stories about who was reliable while hunting, who posed a threat, or which mushrooms were making them sick (maybe high). This exchange of information strengthened group bonds and helped humans outcompete other species, proving that talking behind someone’s back might just be an evolutionary advantage.