Context： In response to this week's theme, "play and sound," I envisioned a street installation: the Gossip machine. I named this machine SecretX (meaning an unknown person hears your secret). Method： 1.This machine contains 100 mini radios. Every radio contains gossip/secrets about a person. 2.Passers-by can take out a radio and listen to other people's secrets. But the secret on the radio can only be played twice. After listening to it, it will automatically destroy the secret inside. 3. In exchange, the person who listens to the secret needs to record his secret on it. The relay continues. Response： 1. Gossip can make people relax and release pressure. Imagine listening to someone else's secret while waiting for the bus. A study by the University of Michigan found that people who gossip a lot are significantly happier than those who keep to themselves. 2. Maybe this machine can help people who are eager to talk, but don't want others to know who they are. It may also help people who have been hurt, and they may find comfort in knowing the experience of others in this machine. Because subconsciously we all want them to go through the pain for us. According to psychologist John Mendel, people have a subconscious desire to experience pain for themselves, and people who focus on gossip and negative news are in part trying to fulfill that desire.
Reflection: My inspiration comes from my fitness trainer. Whenever I feel tired from exercise, my coach will use a gossip to get me to do more moves. I want to listen to her gossip, I will stick with it. So I started to wonder, why do people like gossip so much? I find that most of the content of gossip is very private, so that people have a desire to find out what it is. Through my research, I have concluded the following points: Gossip can satisfy people's curiosity Information exchange is human nature (by judging the target of gossip, we can determine friendly and enemy forces. Sharing useful intelligence with friendly forces can help improve survival during hostile environments. Gossip can build and maintain relationships (think about if someone A came to you to gossip about someone B, who would you think would have a better relationship with you? Gossip is like a bond that instantly connects the gossiper with the receiver. Although the connection may not last very long. Therefore, the spread of gossip can play a role in maintaining interpersonal relationships. Gossip can influence others reference：Foster, E. K. (2004). Research on Gossip: Taxonomy, Methods, and Future Directions. Review of General Psychology, 8(2), 78–99. Research on Gossip: Taxonomy, Methods, and Future Directions - Eric K. Foster, 2004