Meaningless talk

I watched the last 15 minutes of 'Coronation Street' yesterday. This a famous Soap Opera in the UK. Most of what I saw revolved around gossip. Talking about other people, often with negative conotations. Could it be that we see this sort of behaviour on the television and adopt it as the norm. Who does it serve to engage in meaningless and negative thoughts about others. Certainly not us.
Consider this also; if you talk to someone negatively about another person, behind their back, the person you are talking to may be thinking that you will likely do the same to them.