Why do we crave drama, and can it become an obsessive habit?
You may not be surprised when I say that probably everyone is excited about a piece of gossip or drama. But why is it that we are so interested in what is going on in other people’s lives when it may not have anything to do with us? It is a complex question but according to some therapists like Joy Berkheimer, the answer is quite simple.
Firstly, some people love the thrill of being involved in intense situations with no strings attached. This could be having brunch with your friends and discussing the latest celebrity scandals like why Kylie Jenner did not allow Selena Gomez to take a picture with her boyfriend at the Golden Globe Awards? This might not even be true but all of TikTok seemed to be completely invested in the situation. Drama might also be a means to escape one’s own reality and indulge in someone else’s for some time.
One main reason, however, is that drama is a way of directing attention to oneself. This can be by discussing or spreading gossip. Attention is something human beings crave more than drama, and drama happens to be a way to get it. This is normal and part of being human, nevertheless it can become dangerous to some when craving drama becomes an obsessive habit.
Something that really does not help and promotes this obsessive habit is TikTok. I am sure that just this year alone, we have had many scandals appear on our For You Page. It does not help that TikTok is programmed to provide related content every 39 seconds after we have interacted with a certain video, so our for you page can be flooded with never ending videos about the same scandal. People also realize that posting videos about the latest drama can get them thousands of views because we are so invested in wanting to know what is going on. For example, the #Ultimateworldcruise drama on TikTok has had more than 138 million views since December!
So, whether we crave drama to escape our problems or seek attention, this habit can easily go from a harmless way to spend time with friends to an unhealthy coping mechanism. Some ways to avoid this are spending more time checking in with yourself physically and mentally, finding hobbies that make you happy, and not spending too much time on social media. However, following some drama and gossip can be healthy as it is also a form of entertainment, much like a movie or a song. It is nothing more than a sign that we are all human.
References:
댓글