Sulewski 1 Jesse Sulewski Professor Lago English 1100-41 21 October 2013

Rumors Rumors can be very dangerous. The spreading of false rumors can ruin lives. Have you ever played the game Whisper Down the Lane? One person creates a statement and whispers it into the ear of the person standing next to them. Then, they do the same, repeating what they hear to the person next to them. This continues all the way down the line until the last person receives the rumor. More often than not, the end result is far from the original statement. As the rumor is spread, the initial statement is manipulated to something completely different. The food served in Wayne Dining Hall at William Paterson University is far from the best. Rumor has it; the food contains laxatives, which is easily believed based on the results after eating. There are many reasons as to why rumors are spread. Rumors are contagious; they have a snowball effect. As the stories pass from person to person, the bigger the rumor gets and the harder it is to decipher the truth. Many rumors are spread because there is no proof against it, so it must be true. If someone doesnt know the truth, it is easier to go along with the crowd than it is to branch off and contradict a statement that may or may not be false. Sunstein presents many facts about rumors in his essay Rumor Cascades and Group

Sulewski 2 Polarization. He says, Other people are not ignorant; they do know something that is relevant, but not enough to overcome the shared beliefs of many others, at least when those others are trusted (Sunstein 390). Even if some knowledge is present, one might go against their better judgment to please the crowd. When I heard the rumor about putting laxatives in our food, I couldnt help but to believe it. I didnt think it was legal to do that, but I had no proof against it. Intimidation is a key factor to the spread of rumors, as well. When a large group of people has the opinion opposite of yours, it is more likely to believe their argument. Most rumors involve topics on which people lack direct or personal knowledge, and so most of us defer to the crowd (Sunstein 388). For example, the Wayne Dining Hall. It is highly unlikely for it to be legal to serve food with laxatives in it, however, when heard from a large group of people, it is difficult to decide for yourself. The easiest thing to do is agree with everyone else. Personally, I heard this rumor from many different upperclassmen. In my mind, I was just an innocent freshman; I didnt know any better. The older group intimidated me, so I accepted the rumor as the truth, to avoid conflict. There is another problem with spreading rumors: its fun. Even if it is a known fact that the information is false, the gossip is spread because it is fun. They give people something to talk about. Sometimes, rumors are created strictly for entertainment, or even conversation starters. Sunstein states, On the internet, informational cascades happen every day, and even when they involve baseless rumors, they greatly affect our beliefs and our behavior (Sunstein 389). All different forms of media promote rumors about many different celebrities because

Sulewski 3 it draws attention to the magazine company. The rumors can be completely untrue but the drama gives the media something to talk about. The stories are continuing to be spread by the people because it is harmless to us. However, these false accusations can really affect the lives of the celebrity. Simple, thought to be harmless, rumors can cause these celebrities to lose fans and ruin their careers. Luckily, there are online sites such as, www.snopes.com that were created to bust rumors. These websites help dilute the drama of the latest rumor. According to snopes.com, the rumor about Wayne Dining Hall is indeed false. It is illegal to put laxatives into the food due to health regulations. The continuous spreading of rumors is a large problem in this generation. With the help of social media, rumors are causing an unnecessary amount of drama. As human beings, we must be able to voice our own opinions in order to stop the dilemma. We need to stop playing Whisper Down the Lane and evaluate the situation as an individual. Having the ability to speak up, and speak the truth, can help the world function much more smoothly in the long run.

Sulewski 4 Work Cited Sunstein, Cass R. Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 388-95. Print.