Rezae 1 Daniel Rezae Professor Lago English 1100 21 October 2013 The Spread of Rumors The spread of rumors

is like wildfire on dry brush. Rumors grow and evolve like a game of telephone. By the time the rumor has gotten to a person, it is so twisted and contorted that it doesnt even make sense. It would be a bold experiment to see if one can make up a rumor and see how fast it would spread. One rumor that is common among college life is that colleges put laxatives in their food. Students come up with many reasons to why this is. For example, it aids in digestion or that the food makes them go to the bathroom more. The truth is that putting laxatives in food without a persons knowledge is illegal because someone could be allergic; and students go to the bathroom more because their diets have changed drastically since coming to college. For many college students this is the first time away from home and also the first time that they completely control what to eat, how to eat, and when to eat. This results in many college students not having proper diets and thus having to go the bathroom more. The truth behind rumors is sometimes obvious, but students do not have knowledge on the subject so they believe whatever they hear. As Cass R. Sunstein explains, rumors often start from a few not so intelligent people believing them and eventually spread to more intelligent people believing them. This proves Sunsteins analysis of informational cascades. Once a certain number of people appear to believe a rumor, others will believe it too, unless they have good reason to believe that it is false (Sunstein). Sunstein is saying that rumors have a tipping point. Once a certain number

Rezae 2 of people believe the rumor that is the tipping point. After that, everyone will believe the rumor until someone proves it wrong and even then a certain number of people will still believe the rumor. To prove Sunsteins statements, the class did an anonymous in-class poll to see who believed that William Paterson puts laxatives in the food. The poll found that the class thought this rumor was false except for a group of students who could not even be convinced even after the professor proved that this rumor was false. Some students who believed this rumor was false had previously believed it was true through first-hand experience. Before this in-class poll, these students were convinced by an outside source that this rumor was not true. This proves Sunsteins statement, unless they have good reason to believe that it is false (Sunstein). Students believe that laxatives are put in food and this is the reason that they are going to the bathroom more often and with greater output. Snopes.com explains the truth. Snopes.com says students change their eating habits from regularly-spaced meals enjoyed at home give way to a constant eating binge wherein junk foods are especially favored (The Going Concern). Personally I have noticed that my eating habits have changed. I no longer have time for structured meals. I have almost no time to get something to eat in between classes. This results in me having to get something quickly, which is most likely unhealthy. My eating schedule is also irregular because certain days I have a late lunch, like 5 p.m., and certain days I have and early lunch, like 10:30 a.m. This irregularity disrupts bowl movements therefore resulting in students thinking that it must be the food and not their eating habits.

Rezae 3 It is a certain conformity that pressures people to believe rumors. Sort of like peer pressure. They dont want to stick out in the crowd unless they have a good reason to. Sometimes people believe rumor because other people believe them. But sometimes people just act as if they do (Sunstein). What Sunstein is saying is sometimes people believe rumors because other people do. He also says people pretend to believe rumors sometimes to conform. It is evolutionary that if you stick out of the crowd then you will be hunted and killed by a predator. So it makes sense that it is hardwired in our brains to not stick out and to conform or go with the social norm. Conformity is like a social camouflage protecting us from sticking out of the crowd. Although the laxative rumor turned out to be false, it is plausible that people can be so quick to believe it. People believe rumors because they want to conform and not stick out of the crowd. Conformity can be good because when one is in a bad neighborhood and one does not want to stick out. Conformity can be bad because creativity or standing up for oneself are limited resulting in everyone becoming zebras. I only say this because zebras often do nothing when another zebra is being attacked. Zebras try to conform and camouflage with the rest of the group to not stick out and not be killed. For humans, conformity is like a social camouflage protecting us from sticking out of the crowd.

Rezae 4 Work Cited "The Going Concern." Snopes.com: Laxatives in College Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Sunstein, Cass R. "Chapter 11." Writing and Reading across the Curriculum. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 388-296. Print.