Most people believe that they do not gossip because they see this kind of information as “trivial.” They have the idea that they spend most of their time talking about “important” topics, such as business or politics. According to national surveys, this is particularly true of men, who consider that what they do is “exchanging information” rather than gossiping. However, research has proven that two-thirds of all human conversation is gossip, for both sexes. Studies also show that, in social situations, men spend 0-5% of the time talking about “serious” subjects, and that they gossip just as much as women.
People used to spend more time gossiping with their friends and neighbors, but today, we have less time for face-to-face social interaction, including gossiping. However, in recent years, communication technology, especially the smartphone, has given us new ways to gossip. Apart from talking on the phone, people use their phones to get news and gossip through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. A survey showed that only 17% of participants use their cell phones primarily for work purposes. Most people feel that their cell phones are vital for their social lives.