What Gossip and Small Talk Means for the Neurodiverse

"Gossip has served quite an important purpose in communities, as it purportedly aids social cohesion, bonding, and is used as a social resource. Researchers have more recently associated it with reputation management, and that has evolved more as a self-protective social mechanism. I do not believe that is how it is most used today; I think it makes people feel better about their lives and distracts them from their own failings and inadequacies."

"Gossiping is an activity that many people who are neurodivergent struggle to engage in or care about. For this reason, as a result of gossip, we can be vulnerable to smear campaigns, bullying, and sometimes alienation from groups, communities, and organisations."

"Many of the people I work with struggle with small talk, as well as gossip. This is sometimes because they prefer to talk about special interests and often want to engage in more meaningful, intense, and intellectually stimulating conversations. These preferences make many people with neurological differences socially isolated and alienated, and may be considered to be egotistical and socially awkward by others."

Gossip has historically functioned as a social mechanism for community bonding and reputation management, though contemporary use primarily serves to make people feel better about their own lives. Neurodivergent individuals often struggle to engage in or care about gossip, making them vulnerable to smear campaigns, bullying, and social exclusion. Gossip involves discussing others' lives in their absence, preventing subjects from providing their perspective, which raises ethical concerns. Many neurodivergent people also struggle with small talk and prefer intellectually stimulating conversations about special interests. These communication preferences often result in social isolation and alienation, with such individuals being perceived as egotistical or socially awkward by others.

Read at Psychology Today