It is no secret that high school students have the potential to be the cattiest demographic to live within this country, but sometimes it feels like things can get out of hand. Let’s face it, almost 99% of all students have said something behind someone else’s back, myself included, but there is a point where it goes beyond simple name-calling or petty things that don’t really matter in the long run and can actually be harmful for everyone involved.

There is next to nothing wrong with a little bit of playful name-calling as long as it is not entirely one-sided or hurtful. Along with that, proliferating simple, known facts may be embarrassing for some, but the truth is still the truth regardless of who is saying it.

A problem emerges when someone makes something up about someone else. To throw someone’s name into dirt for whatever reason is absolutely scummy if it cannot truly be backed up. It degrades the person who may not have even had an idea about the subject of rumor in the first place, and can go down two very distinct paths depending on how it progresses. Either the rumor will never be disproven, and the victim has to live with it, or the rumor will be debunked, and the person who started it will be a bigger dirtbag than a soil factory.

Along with false accusations, using someone else’s name without explicit permission is just the worst and rips apart any chances of mutual respect. For instance, someone makes a passing comment about a random person that gets overheard by another party who goes on to spread that rumor. This continues until eventually a massive debacle springs from what may have started as a miscommunication. It feeds into rumors being started without basis, and unless something is done about the miscommunication soon, it will corrupt reputations absolutely.

I get it. Hormones are changing, and sometimes it is hard to properly express emotions without intentionally putting others down. I have said it before and I will say it again, everyone is guilty of spreading rumors in one way or the other, and it feels as if that trend will not go away overnight. It is okay to let off some steam; just be sure that whatever comes out is pointed away from someone who does not deserve it.
Unless there is a proper reason to talk trash about someone else (for instance, concerning comments that were overheard or behavioral incidents), there is no reason to degrade the sanctity of another person for giggles. It makes a huge mess for everyone, and in even the best-case scenarios, nothing valuable is gained. People need to grow up and learn to cope with their emotions in a less destructive way.