Chatters in the hallways ring throughout people’s ears, tension fills the air, voices whisper and gasp, and slight glances go towards the subject of the information.
This is what the spreading of rumors can look like inside of any school.
In high school, rumors spread like wildfire. They get heard from ear to ear and spread from mouth to mouth without any stop to them. Once a rumor starts, it is hard to stop it from reaching the ears of friends and strangers. And there are so many different rumors that arise that can distract us from what we need to focus on.
Dr. Lisa Brougham has counseled students who have been the target of these rumors and seen how they can affect students’ mental health.
“There could be rumors about things that teachers are doing in class, there could be rumors about the way one student is acting towards another. There are academic rumors, social rumors, lifestyle rumors, rumors about people’s sexual preference, whatever,” Brougham said.
Although most rumors tend to be about relationships, anything can be thrown out there in the wrong way. Whatever it is that is being spoken about, it can either impact peers positively or negatively, and provoke emotions and triggers.
Junior Jonathan Bady has heard rumors about himself and his relationships. He said that one particular rumor started, but didn’t get very far because it wasn’t true. This caused him to have to deal with a rumor, while also dealing with real issues in his life.
“A lot of people might be going through stuff and you don’t know what they are going through, so the rumors might add on to problems, and it might make your life harder or easier,” Bady said.
Rumors are bad enough, but when they are false they add another level of insecurity and self-doubt. As teenagers continue to grow, they want to be able to feel comfort and security between their peers.
Junior Raphael Blevans believes there is a simple solution to preventing rumors from spreading.
“The best way to do that is just to be quiet. If it is not nice, do not say it. If you are not personally involved, it might just be better to keep your mouth shut,” Blevans said.
According to a Pew survey, 13% of 12-18 year olds have reported having rumors be spread about them. According to that same survey, they reported that the effects of having rumors spread about someone can be associated with loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
“They are all damaging though, and spreading them is the worst thing we can do, so the best thing we can do is to just keep it to ourselves, and if you hear something that is crazy, just do not repeat it, it might not help you at all,” Brougham said.
