Abstract

Objective: Gossip is an understudied topic in addiction research. Our aim was to investigate current available information on gossip as a behavioral addiction through a scoping review, anchoring the search to two different conceptualizations of addiction.

Method: We searched PubMed, PsycINFO as well as Google Scholar for empirical data and extended our search to Google to include non-academic mentions. We identified 593 total records with 28 fitting within our inclusion criteria that were included for this scoping review, 6 records from academic journals and 22 records from social media websites.

Results: Gossip may provide an appetitive effect and involves preoccupation and loss of control constituents of a behavioral addiction. In addition, a list of potential harms of gossip addiction were identified (e.g., relational aggression, loss of productivity, broken relationships, anxiety, and depression). Among self-reports of gossip addiction, celebrity gossip was most prevalent. However, it is likely that gossip transcends many different settings of social interactions (e.g., workplace, social relationships) and could be augmented through social media. Features of gossip addiction have been studied through other related behavioral addictions. While some websites offer help with gossip addiction for both gossipers and victims of gossip, as well as being subcategorized within broader, more established behavioral addictions that mostly concern the social media and communication in general, gossip addiction needs to be recognized as its’ own entity for adequate prevention and treatment models to be developed.

Conclusion: Future research is needed to better understand gossip as a standalone addiction and the mediating role of the social media and other related behavioral addictions. Thereafter, gossip addiction assessment instruments to facilitate diagnosis and treatment may be developed.