Gossip frequently has a bad reputation. It is often seen as vindictive and time wasting. Often though it serves a valuable role. It helps people let off steam, vent negative emotions and manage stress. It is also a way of people reinforcing their relationships with each other and increasing the closeness of their group. People can use gossip as a way of discussing their problems amongst each other to help explore options and find solutions.

Gossip provides different things for men and for women. In the main, men and women are able to appreciate that being clear as to what they want, being more assertive and voicing those views is crucial to a happy, fulfilled life. Any issues need to be talked about, discussed and maybe gossiped about with friends first to help those views become articulate and sound.

- Women often gossip as a way to process their thoughts and deal with their emotions. Surveys and studies have revealed that while men tend to gossip about four main topics (work, sports, jokes and women), women regularly discuss as many as forty subjects that are often far removed from small talk and frivolous matters. They will often discuss a range of topics that affect them directly and those can include house prices, childcare, politics and pregnancy.

But gossip for women is also an important way to solve problems and manage stress. They share opinions and discuss options together and this can provide a valuable counselling service to the group as talking through feelings is an important part of understanding what is happening and exploring how to resolve matters. Women process their feelings and emotions differently to men and are better equipped to translate feelings into language. This enables them to support each other with empathy.

- Men like to gossip because it helps them feel superior. They enjoy the sense of knowing something that their colleagues do not know. Often they will call gossiping networking, touching base, and they regard it as important by implication. By revealing something that only they know to colleagues they are able to demonstrate a sense of being in a position of power or importance.

Often gossip for men provides a pat on the back, a way of revealing to others how well they are doing, or how successful they are. Also by commenting on anothers behaviour they can deliver a moral judgement that allows others to appreciate how righteous they are. Gossiping for men often has an air of competition about it, they often discuss who is winning and losing, who has hit hard times.

- Younger men are getting better at talking about their feelings. Being strong and silent is becoming an outdated attitude and as such, viewed as self contained and distant. Men now appreciate the importance of being in touch with their feelings, needs and wants and also the importance of communicating those to others. They are also becoming more aware of the importance of understanding how others are feeling too. Raising their children to be able to communicate effectively with others and have good relationships is a powerful incentive for men to learn to talk about personal matters more openly.

- Gossiping about others provides a strong connection through social interaction. People get to know more about each other and through this, strong bonds are able to be formed. Often the person being talked about is known well by all the people discussing them and they are usually absent from the discussion.

- Gossip in a work environment is useful. It can air problems and cause undercurrents, but it is also unavoidable and allows people to vent negative emotions and let off steam. Problems can occur when people are asked to keep secrets. Many people find that an impossible situation as they are in possession of important knowledge and often want to prove that they have that knowledge. Gossip in these situations can be irresistible.

Gossip can on occasion be nasty and vindictive, but it can provide a valuable role in many areas of communications and relationship building.