Behavior: The Spreading of Rumors

Rumors are powerful. The internet speeds things up like never before. A rumor that is fueled by internet instant messaging, e-mailing, message board messages and website notices can travel at lightning speed to hundreds of thousands of millions of people.

When the rumor is one that is potentially harmful, or carries a message of harm, harassment, bullying or other types of negative behavior, it’s normal for there to be a reaction — more so than if the rumor doesn’t affect one’s personal safety.

Small towns and communities have special rumor problems because the same people bump into each other over and over again in the course of a week, making rumor control almost impossible. It’s not like one person bumps into one person in one week. One person can bump into the same person seven times in the course of one week in a small town or on a small island. This complicates the rumor, and the story can grow and morph into a very tall tale.

When there is one trusted source of news, people turn to that source for the truth when a rumor becomes out of control. Sometimes that source is the government. Sometimes it’s the newspaper or television station. When there is a lack of leadership, rumors will spin out of control.