Our Position: Gossip culture is destructive towards society and causes irreversible damage.

It’s no secret that gossip has always been a part of high school culture. From every high school sitcom, rumors have played a significant role in the plot, and often, it’s not far from reality. However, things have shifted in a fearful direction over the past few years, driven by technological development: screenshots are treated as bulletproof documentation of all the horrid things teenagers say, disappearing messages are an idiot’s allowance to say horrid things, and AI and Photoshop manipulate all forms of documentation.
As a ramification, newer generations have rebranded the term “tea,” which, according to Urban Dictionary, is “the best kind of gossip.” In 2023, the phrase evolved into an app with the intention of spreading awareness of possible dating predators and safety advice—on the “Tea” app, girls can anonymously post a guy’s photo alongside their name and general location to find other girls with an experience they can share via comment or green or red flag. Over time, the app has exploded in popularity, experienced legal troubles and had a second app named “Tea on her,” made in retaliation, so guys can do the same. These apps are an incredible change to youth and adult gossip culture.
Unlike digital gossip, verbal gossip lives within people and in memory: you could move away, graduate, or people could simply forget a rumor. This information could be out there forever in people’s minds. Now, by posting someone, you plaster their face alongside comments that last longer than just a trivial laugh, with some from people even alleging illegal activity, all of which is currently happening at LT.
Comments seem insignificant in the grand scheme, but they’re not; they leave a digital footprint, and all it takes is a leak or a curious search for someone’s high school rumor to become a real-life accusation. In fact, data breaches of comments, gender verification photos, and posts have already leaked for many users. Gossip used to have the dignity of holding people accountable like keeping a father from cheating on his wife or a middle schooler from picking their nose. This app defines people by their worst moments or rumors and ultimately traps people in the mistakes of their past, with the only intent of shame.
Again, unlike digital gossip, verbal gossip leaves a trace of people you could follow to find the source of a rumor. In apps like “Tea,” that trace is erased through anonymity. So every story lacks a face or finger to point that keeps posts truthful and the poster accountable. No way to verify the truth, to confront a lie or clear an accusation—that should be scary to us all. Every post is a person with a life more vivid than what you see of them on a screen, and too often we leave the chance to forget that online. With rumors, there’s a line of humanity with the things we vocalize, and digitally it’s easier to detach from what we type.
Unanswered accusations can change a person’s life, dictate their friends, or deteriorate someone’s mental health. Let’s stop romanticizing “tea” in general and put an end to online gossip, if not for the sake of your peers but for your own, because while the “Tea” app is one of the first mainstream gossip platforms, it likely won’t be the last.

Staff Vote: 19-4