Rumors are a special kind of information that can be both true and false. Some rumors are launched specifically for a specific purpose, while others arise spontaneously.
The phenomenon of rumors lies in the fact that it is extremely difficult to understand where the reliable information is told, and where the "outright" lie (gossip) is. The mechanism of influence of rumors on the minds of people from time immemorial has been successfully used in political and ideological struggle.
There is no point in arguing that rumors can contain false information, but at the same time they can be transmitted "by word of mouth" official data. For example, in order to expose "harmful rumors" in the first days of the Great Patriotic War, the post offices of the USSR accepted messages to the already occupied cities. Therefore, reliability is not an indicator for qualifying the information received as a rumor.
It is important here that the method of transmitting information occurs through interpersonal communication channels. Moreover, the mechanism of hearing circulation is accompanied by confirmation of the receipt of information from a reliable source (the media, a respected common acquaintance, a popular person, and so on).
Rumors are a serious, powerful tool for managing the masses. Treating them with ease - it means showing shortsightedness. Therefore, much attention is paid to the study of rumors and their use in the modern world.
Rumors are a source of gathering information about public attitudes, attitudes towards statesmen, decisions, and so on. The circulation of rumors in society complements the official picture of statistical and social research.
Interesting and at the same time tragic can be called the fact that in the USSR, secret service workers specially developed rumors that were released on "free voyage" to the people. In this way, not only public opinion was formed, but also unreliable citizens were “identified”. Their fates after the transmission of gossip were unenviable.
Hearing is used as a catalyst for changing socio-political attitudes among the masses, encouraging them to take some action. Some time ago, a panic began in Ukraine, based on a rumor about the imminent disappearance of salt. This prompted citizens to clear the store shelves of goods, and the price of salt increased several times.
Spreading rumors is always beneficial for someone. Thus, the formation, operation of rumors is an instrument of economic, social and political influence.
Rumors aren't always bad. In fact, they saturate the information life of society. This is a form of psychological compensation caused by a deficit in emotional arousal. There are very curious and even unlikely rumors. For example, that Elvis Presley is alive, however, like Michael Jackson, that somewhere in America there is a UFO base, etc.
It is not difficult to let the rumor go and see how it works. This can be done in any team. In addition, today there are a lot of trainings that teach the correct creation and direction of rumors.
