One study from 2016 that looked at how people orient to and spread rumors on social media found that rumors that are ultimately proven true tend to be resolved faster than those that turn out to be false.

“Whilst one can readily see users denying rumors once they have been debunked, users appear to be less capable of distinguishing true from false rumors when their veracity remains in question," the researchers explained.

"In fact, we show that the prevalent tendency for users is to support every unverified rumor,” the authors of the study explain, arguing for a need for developing “robust” machine learning techniques that can provide real-time assistance for assessing the veracity of claims.

Gossiping, spreading and listening to rumors, and judging others are fundamentally human traits. In short, there probably won’t ever be a time when people stop gossiping because it’s as enjoyable as it is informative… at least potentially. There are pros and cons to gossip.

On the upside, gossiping and being judgmental are ways to stay informed about important events in your community, evaluate who is (not) trustworthy, and remind yourself of what values and norms society prioritizes, as well as what behaviors are considered taboo. It’s how you maintain cohesion in communities.

But there are plenty of downsides to gossiping, too.

One major downside is that it’s often hard to immediately tell whether a rumor is real or not. Especially in the digital age, where information spreads so quickly that debunking fake news is a constant struggle.

On top of that, you have to consider that many rumors are spread not out of goodwill or the desire to inform the public.

There’s often an element of envy, anger, and a desire to ‘punish’ someone in the spotlight. For instance, some folks might feel envious of the biggest stars in Hollywood earning billions of dollars with their successful projects.

Or someone might have a clear bias or a specific agenda, so they lash out at celebrities to advance their goals, whatever they might be.

So, while inevitable, gossip shouldn’t be taken lightly. You shouldn’t rush to believe rumors—any rumors—just because you see them on your social media feed.

A good rule of thumb is to be suspicious of anything that sounds too good or too bad to be true. Always double-check and cross-reference information with multiple reliable sources if you stumble across an outlandish claim.

Of course, nobody has the time or energy to verify every single piece of iffy or improbable-sounding information. So it’s best to have a list of sources in mind that you can refer to when needed (e.g., Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, the BBC, etc.).

While all sources inevitably make mistakes, trustworthy sources always make corrections, explain where they got their information from, and avoid making baseless rumors.

As we’ve covered previously, people judge others both consciously and automatically. For some, finding flaws in others is a way to feel superior and better about their choices in life. For others, it’s how they recognize where they fit into society, what aspirations they have, and who they might (not) want to become as people.

If used sparingly and consciously, judging other people can help you make the right choices in life and align your goals, values, and actions.

However, if you’re doing this just to pull others down to feel better about your personal flaws and mistakes, that’s a line you shouldn’t overstep.

What do you do to double-check any bizarre rumors about public figures and stars, dear Pandas? Are there any unverified claims about celebs that you personally believe? If so, why? What is the weirdest rumor you've heard recently? If you have a spare moment, you can share your thoughts in the comments.